


Roses / Neville Longbottom

by justreadandwritex



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Best Friends, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, F/M, Fanfiction, Gryffindor, Herbology, Hufflepuff, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Romance, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:28:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29353479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justreadandwritex/pseuds/justreadandwritex
Summary: It's not that I don't care about the love you haveIt's not that I don't want to see you smileBut there's no way that he can feel the same'Cause when I think of you my mind goes wildRose Firewood has been together with Blaise Zabini for two years now. A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin together are the definition of opposites attract. Though Blaise makes her feel safe, he makes her smile, listens to her, but as both of them start changing, they slowly drift further apart.Neville Longbottom has been staring at her from the back of the class for almost six years now. The clumsy Gryffindor has been dreaming of holding her hand for a while now but lacked the bravery of telling his best friend. Rose makes him feel heard, she makes him smile, listens to him, and slowly they're growing closer than ever.
Relationships: Blaise Zabini/Original Female Character(s), Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom, Neville Longbottom/Original Female Character(s), Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Important notes:
> 
> \- This fanfiction is for 18+ readers only as it contains a couple of SMUT scenes. Please respect this. Not every chapter contains these scenes, it's not a smut fanfiction, but yes, some chapters do.
> 
> \- In this book, the characters are 18-19 and about to start their fifth year.
> 
> \- It is set in the Harry Potter-storyline, but obviously, changes have been made and they are a little older. I'm using the movies and the books as references regarding some scenes.
> 
> \- I did not come up with all of these characters, JK Rowling did. I do not support JK and her views, and if you do you better stop reading right now. There will be no transphobia/homophobia tolerated on my page.
> 
> \- I first uploaded the first three chapters on Wattpad but since their policies keep changing and they are taking down Smut stories, I decided to upload it here!
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this!! Tips are always welcome :)

_It's not that I don't care about the love you have_  
_It's not that I don't want to see you smile_  
_But there's no way that he can feel the same_  
_'Cause when I think of you my mind goes wild_

Rose Firewood has been together with Blaise Zabini for two years now. A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin together are the definition of opposites attract. Though Blaise makes her feel safe, he makes her smile, listens to her, but as both of them start changing, they slowly drift further apart.

Neville Longbottom has been staring at her from the back of the class for almost six years now. The clumsy Gryffindor has been dreaming of holding her hand for a while now but lacked the bravery of telling his best friend. Rose makes him feel heard, she makes him smile, listens to him, and slowly they're growing closer than ever.  
  
  


** Important notes: **

** \- This fanfiction is for 18+ readers only as it contains a couple of SMUT scenes. Please respect this. Not every chapter contains these scenes, it's not a smut fanfiction, but yes, some chapters do. **

** \- In this book, the characters are 18-19 and about to start their fifth year. I am using adult themes, language and so SMUT scenes are present. **

** \- It is set in the Harry Potter-storyline, but obviously, changes have been made and they are a little older. I'm using the movies and the books as references regarding some scenes. **

** \- I did not come up with all of these characters, JK Rowling did. I do not support JK and her views, and if you do you better stop reading right now. Transwomen are women just as transmen are men. There will be no transphobia/homophobia tolerated on my page. **  
  
  


**_ I hope you enjoy reading this!! Tips are always welcome :) _ **


	2. Rose

_Rose_

The way to Hogwarts always felt too long in her opinion, she was not looking forward to hours on this crowded train. She had said goodbye to her mother ten minutes ago and was pushing through all the other students, trying to find her boyfriend.

"Excuse me, may I ple- Thank you!" she said cheerfully when someone stepped aside for her. She walked passed a few cabins until she finally saw her handsome boyfriend sit at a table, playing cards with his friends.

She never liked his friends, and she rarely disliked anyone. But his friends were bullies, and she very much disliked bullies.

"Look Zabini, it's Hufflepunk," Pansy Parkinson snickered. She always called Rose this, but she got over it. Blaise looked up at her, his eyes immediately lighting up at the sight of his girlfriend.

"Hi," Rose said, smiling at him. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms found their way around his neck and they embraced each other tightly.

"Hi baby," he said, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. She felt butterflies in her stomach, a feeling she missed over the summer. They had only seen each other twice and when he wrote her it weren't long letters like the year before. It worried her but being back in his arms made all her worries fade away.

"How were the last weeks of your summer?" she questioned. Before he could answer Draco Malfoy cleared his throat and gestured for Blaise to sit back down to finish the card game. He sighed a little and gave Rose an apologetic look.

She shook it off, "It's fine, I'll see you after dinner tonight?" He nodded and quickly kissed her cheek once more before sitting down again. She turned back around, trying to keep her smile from falling. Since when was a card game more important than seeing his girlfriend after a couple of weeks?

She made her way through the crowded train once more and sat down next to her best friend once she found him. Neville was sitting with Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott. She greeted them all with a bright smile and a "hi", before giving Neville a hug.

"Oi Rose, how's your summer been?" he asked her. She had missed him. They had written each other a couple of times but hadn't met up, sadly.

"It was good! Nothing much going on honestly. I turned the garden around though with some help from my old pops, but he can't stand much longer than half an hour at a time so it was mostly me. It looks great though! Mum sure loved it, though I think she'd have liked it if I spend some more time reading and learning household spells instead of being outside all day long, really," she told him.

Her mother was a very charming, though uptight and posh woman. She wasn't as openhearted as her daughter but she had lots of love to share with Rose, way more than she had ever felt for either of her three husbands, something she bonded over with Blaise who could relate to the smallest detail.

Rose knew she wasn't planned, but her mother never made her feel unwanted. Her mother wasn't ashamed of her daughter either, though she was born from her shortest marriage, three months to be exact. He was gone before they shared the news with their families. Rose didn't mind.

She had seen a picture of her father once. His skin was paler than the moon but his eyes were as dark as Rose's were. He was conventionally handsome, but Rose never understood why her mother married him.

Her grandfather was the male figure in her life that she needed and he taught her all about life that she needed to know. They shared the same interest; gardening, Herbology and Magical Creatures. He used to be a Hufflepuff like her, meanwhile, her mother was a true Slytherin.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Neville said and she agreed. She questioned how the summer of her friends was and they told her one by one. She was glad to be surrounded by her friends again, she loved summer but always missed being surrounded by people incredibly.


	3. Neville

_Neville_

He met up with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan at Platform 9 3/4. His grandmother just dropped him off and left him without so much of a kiss and "goodbye". She wasn't the most loving woman but at least she took care of him. They got on the train and quickly found a spot on the train.

"So, Neville, mate, did you finally make a move this summer?" Dean asked him. He was supposed to confess his little crush on his best friend this summer, but she had cancelled on their meet up because her boyfriend was staying one more night. They hadn't rescheduled. The boy shook his head quickly, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"I-I was going to! I swear! But Rose cancelled for Blaise you see and I wasn't gonna do it in a letter," he explained to his friends. Seamus shook his head at him. "What, Seamus?" he asked, a bit nervous.

"You gotta get over her, mate," his friend told him. Neville sighed and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure how he would ever get over her. She was amazing.

"Look, Neville, she's great and all, but she has been dating that Zabini kid for almost two years now, it's over for you, you were too late," Seamus's not so encouraging words rang through Neville's ears. Maybe it was over for him, but somehow his heart couldn't accept that.

"What if you started dating someone else?" Dean Thomas suggested. It had never been a thought in Neville's mind. Rose and he had been best friends since the first day they met.

In their third year, he suddenly started to see Rose in a different way. He started feeling all warm and tingly when she was around and all he wanted was to be near her. He wasn't the only one feeling that way, she got asked out by four different guys that year, but she only said yes to one; Blaise Zabini.

"Like who?" Neville asked carefully.

No one caught his eye as Rose did. Her long, brown, wavy hair, deep brown, doe eyes, along with a set of perfect dimples when she smiled, showing her perfect white teeth. No one was as beautiful as she was, at least not to Neville.

"Like her," Seamus motioned his head to the door of the cabin in which they were sitting.

Hannah Abbott opened the door and joined the three boys. She was pretty but did not compare to Rose even in the slightest bit. Hannah had pale, pinkish skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, the complete opposite of Rose.

All the boys greeted her with a "Hi Hannah," before Seamus carried on a conversation about his prejudice against Harry Potter and his claims about Voldemort. Neville was listening with half an ear.

He didn't believe The Daily Prophet, not like Seamus's mother did anyways. She bought every word they said without questioning it. Neville liked Harry, he believed Harry.

His mind kept wandering off until Rose joined them in the cabin. She greeted them and then sat down next to Neville, giving him a hug. He then proceeded to ask her about her summer.

They only wrote to each other a few times. She told him about the things that kept her busy with a bright smile on her lips, one that revealed the dimples in her cheeks.

"That doesn't sound too bad," he said after she finished. She nodded in agreement before asking how his summer was. "It was quite good, nothing special happened, really. Gran and I fixed up the old shed, though I think she may have been busier fixing up my mistakes than what needed to be done in the first place," he answered.

There was a faint blush on his cheeks. She listened to his stories and the other's story with great interest but all Neville could do was stare at how much more beautiful she had gotten over the summer. He was glad to be back at Hogwarts with his friends, though he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his crush to himself.

** \----- **

** Hi! So these are the first two chapters. Normal chapters will be longer, no worries! These are just introductory chapters. I hope you will enjoy reading! :) **


	4. Happy Birthday

** 18+ nsfw **

_Rose_

After the opening dinner and the sorting ceremony, she hurried to the kitchen corridor, quickly making way to her and Blaise's secret spot. Since they were in different houses, and Slytherin's weren't allowed in the Hufflepuff Basement and Hufflepuff's weren't allowed in the Slytherin Dungeons, they had to find somewhere else to meet up where they wouldn't be bothered by other students.

Lucky for them, her mother had told her about a secret room near the kitchen's, one they had now made their own. Rose had brought blankets and pillows so it was more comfortable for them to hang out at.

She performed the secret knock on the wall before a door appeared and she opened it. Blaise wasn't there yet so she had some time to fix up her hair. She wasn't necessarily a vain person but she liked to make sure her hair was in a perfect state at all times, one of the only traits she had gained from her mother.

It didn't take long until her tall boyfriend showed up as well. She immediately jumped into his arms, squealing in excitement. She had truly missed him. They had met up twice over the summer, once he had stayed three days at her house which was great and once she went over to his house for two days, but the second they were apart again she always missed him.

"Hi baby," his low voice sent shivers down her spine. He held her tightly before they shared a much wanted, needed and missed kiss. She loved his lips. She felt herself melt into them a little more with every kiss.

"Hi," she said after their lips broke apart again. The pair sat down and she cuddled into him. He wasn't a very talkative person, but affectionate was definitely a word in his dictionary.

He entangled their fingers and kissed the top of her head before apologizing about what happened on the Hogwarts Express.

"Sorry about that, they had been giving me shit the whole ride already and I didn't feel like giving them the pleasure of making it worse," was his excuse. She didn't really care or at least tried not to care. Something like this had never happened before so she want to make a big deal out of it.

"It's okay, love, no worries," she told him, pressed a quick peck on his cheek. He granted her a small smile before caressing her cheek and planting another kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes at his touch but quickly opened them again, pulling away.

"Anyways, how has your summer been? Did you manage to get your hands on a Potion-making kit? You told me you wanted to get one," she asked him.

When she visited him at his house, he told her that the day after she would go back home, he would go to Diagon Alley in London with his mother to get some new school supplies. Since he was planning to take the Potions N.E.W.T. class after the O.W.L.'s, he seemed rather interested in getting a Potion-making kit himself.

He nodded, confirming he got one. "Yes, I did. Mother bought it for me," he informed her. She smiled at him, keeping her arms around his torso tightly.

She waited for him to tell her more about his summer, but when he didn't she asked him another question.

"Are you nervous about the O.W.L. exams? I, myself, am a little bit nervous, honestly. Though I partially know it will be alright, I'm also a bit frightened it will become too hard for me and that I won't pass for the subjects I need," she confessed.

Rose was planning on taking five N.E.W.T. classes from next year on, as it was a requirement for becoming a Healer, something she had wanted to become since she was 9 and started to take care of her grandfather's wounds with help from his private Healer.

Blaise smiled slightly at his overly-excited and nervous girlfriend and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You have nothing to worry about, Rose. You are one of the smartest witches in our year," he complimented her. "No way you won't pass with an Exceeds Expectations for all our classes."

She wasn't necessarily convinced, but his words did make her feel a little more confident. The corners of her mouth curled up and her dimples showed. She straddled his waist and pressed her lips onto his once more.

"Happy birthday," she whispered to him when their lips parted for a second. He was 19 now. She knew he didn't like his birthday, or at least he never cared enough to make a big deal out of it.

He never told anyone when it was and he had asked Rose not to make a big deal out of it either, which is why she hadn't said anything before.

A grin appeared on his lips and he quickly pressed them back onto hers. His hands slid from her knees up her thighs, slipping under her skirt. He gave them a slight squeeze and then bit her bottom lip.

"Did you get me a gift this year?" he whispered in her ear before he kissed her lips passionately again.

A month before summer started last year, right before the last task of the Triwizard Tournament they had gone a little further than kissing. They hadn't gone all the way yet as Rose didn't feel like she was ready for that, but some handwork had definitely happened.

She pulled back for a moment to say, "I can think of something now," before she pressed her lips back onto his. She kept his hands on his cheeks while their tongues fought a fiery battle. Her chest was rising and falling fast already.

He kept one hand on her thigh and rested the other one on her back. They switched positions so he was hovering over her, holding himself up with the hand that was just on her back. He gave her thigh another squeeze before moving his hand up higher, his fingers moving over the hem of her panties.

She pulled away from the kiss for a moment and looked into his eyes. They were full of lust and hunger for her already.

"Baby," he said, his voice low. He was eager for her touch and she was eager for his. She smiled a little at him, rubbing her thumb in small circular movements on his cheek.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay," she said softly. He nodded and started to kiss her jaw, quickly but steadily moving down to her neck.

His soft lips against her cold skin sent vibrations through her whole body.

"Are you? Is this alright?" he questioned in between kisses.

"Yes, this is great," she answered honestly. He removed his hand from her thigh and started to undo her tie, throwing it aside, before unbuttoning her blouse.

Short but steady breaths escaped her lips. He could turn her on with the flick of his fingers.

He started to kiss down her neck, planting soft kissing all over her chest. He stopped kissing her for a second as she took off the blouse. She leaned back again and his lips found their way back on her skin.

He fumbled with the clasp of her bra, struggling for a moment, but then managed to get it. He threw it in the same corner as her tie and then looked at her for a moment. He didn't take his eyes off her body for even a second.

She bit her bottom lip for a moment and looked back at him. "Fuck, you're so beautiful," he whispered before pressing his lips back onto hers. A slight smile grew on her lips after he complimented her.

She felt his hand run over the hem of her skirt before he pulled it down in a quick and smooth movement. She let out a slight gasp against his lips and he immediately pulled back to check if she was okay.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said quickly, letting out a single chuckle before pulling him back in for a kiss. He trailed his fingers along with her panties again, sending shivers down her spine, while she unbuttoned his blouse. Her hands moved over his toned chest and melted into his lips once again. He kissed down her neck again, causing her eyes to flutter open again.

She bit on her bottom lip, her breathing fastening with his every touch. He kissed down her chest once more, leaving a couple of love bites all over her breasts. She couldn't help but let a whimper escape her lips while he worked on marking her chest. A smirk grew on his lips and he started to kiss down, positioning himself in between her legs. He grabbed her thighs, spreading them apart after slowly sliding her panties down.

A gasp escaped her lips again and she bit her lip a little harder. Blaise quickly picked his wand up from the floor and cast a charm around them. " _Muffliato_ ," he spoke. His voice did things to her that she couldn't explain. "Now you don't have to hold back," he told her. " _Don't_ hold back." His voice was gruff and it only turned her on more. He was hungry for her and she was hungry for him.

Only a second after he had said it she felt his tongue on her private part. Another whimper escaped her lips. The second he started to twirl his tongue around on her clit her whimpers turned into moans.

"Oh _... oh_!" Rose moaned out in pleasure. Her eyes were shut and one hand dug into the blanket on the floor, while the other one rested on his head. He sucked on her sensitive clit, a smirk on his lips as he did so. He knew exactly what she liked.

"So wet for me already, _good girl_ ," the vibrations his voice created only turned her on more. She felt a tingling feeling in her lower stomach. He slowly slid his finger in, causing a loud moan to escape her lips again. She covered her mouth with her hand quickly, but Blaise wasn't too pleased with that.

"No, I want to hear you, Rose, I want to hear you moan for me," he told her so she removed it again. He started to suck on her clit again while slowly moving his finger in and out of her. She was tight around it, but since she was so wet from the arousal, it didn't hurt but only granted her with a great amount of pleasure. He squeezed her other thigh, sending shivers down her legs again.

"Blaise... don't stop, oh sweet Merlin," her moans filled the room. He groaned a little, sending vibrations through her body that only excited her more. Her head was pressed into the pillow under it and she arched her back slightly. His finger was moving faster and he arched it when it was inside, providing a pleasure that felt overwhelming to her.

He added another finger which made her go absolutely crazy. " _Blaise,_ " she whimpered his name in a high-pitched tone. She felt the tingling feeling in her stomach get more intense. "I'm going... I'm going to- oh _fuck_ ," she moaned out.

It didn't take long for her to finish from his touch. He pulled his fingers out again and looked up at her with a smirk on his lips. She was breathing fast as he wiped his fingers before kissing her deeply again.

"Merlin, I love you," she breathed against his lips. She genuinely did. She was feeling ecstatic from her orgasm but quickly moved on top of him this time. She worked on his pants while their tongues danced together again. She stroked him over his boxers. She could feel how hard he was and she knew that the sight of her coming had turned him on already. He groaned a little against her lips which only encouraged her more.

The last time they fooled around at his place, she had only given him a handjob, but this time she was determined to do more. He helped her slide his pants off completely and she kissed down his chest.

Blaise had a great body, something which he was aware of. She kissed down his toned chest, down to his V-line while still stroking him over his boxers. He whimpered out her name so she looked up at him.

"I didn't say stop," he groaned so she quickly pressed her lips back on his skin. She slid down his boxers and immediately got greeted by his hard member. She quickly licked her hand before grabbing it and moved her hand up and down at a steady pace.

She did this for a few moments before wrapping her lips around the tip of it. A deep groan escaped Blaise's lips as she sucked on the tip. She wasn't sure if she could take all of him in, he was at least 9 inches. She stroked him still but moved her head down further as well.

" _Fuck, Rose,_ " he moaned out. She slowly started bopping her head up and down. She was sucking hard on his rock hard member while stroking the part she couldn't reach just yet. Blaise whimpered and moaned in pleasure.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair, guiding her down at her own pace. She felt him twitch in her mouth. She forced herself further down, trying not to gag as the tip almost reached the back of her throat already, and it wasn't even in completely yet. She choked a little, but she kept sucking, applying pressure to the base with her tongue.

She could sense how much he was enjoying this which only encouraged her more. He bucked his hips up and she knew he was going to reach his climax soon.

"I'm not going to be much longer, Rose," he moaned out, confirming her suspicions. His words didn't stop her at all. She didn't slow down and continued doing what she did until he released into her mouth, finally letting go of her hair. He let out a deep groan and looked down at her as she swallowed it all.

She saw his muscles relax again as he breathed heavily.

"Holy _fuck_ , Rose," he breathed out. "You couldn't have done that this summer?" he asked, pulling her back up and kissing her deeply. She smiled a little against his lips, her cheeks gaining a faint blush.

"Well, I figured I would save something for your birthday, though I know you don't like to celebrate it," she teased a little. He grinned at her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"If we celebrate it like this, I do. Fuck you're so hot. I love you so much, baby," he told her and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I love you too," she replied. They stood up again to grab their clothes. She felt a little wobbly on her legs and they hurt a little from the exertion, but Blaise helped steady her so she wouldn't fall.

Blaise started making a comment about it, "Merlin, if you're like this now, imagine aft-", but she didn't let him finish and shushed him by pressing her finger on his lips.

" _Blaise_!" she exclaimed and shook her head lightly. "I'm _fine_. I'm fine," she assured him, but his cocky smile didn't leave his lips just yet. He knew exactly what he did to her and there was no way she could hide it.

"Actions moan, I mean _speak,_ louder than words baby," He teased her, squeezing her waist before sitting down with her again. She rolled her eyes a little at him but then quickly pressed her lips back onto his.

"You're such a tease sometimes," she told him and poked his stomach. He flinched a little and pushed her hands away, laughing.

"Only to you," he said and kissed cheek. She cuddled into him again and held him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her tightly too and she finally felt at home again.


	5. Defence Against The Dark Arts

_Neville_

The class was joking around with a paper bird that the Pavarati twins had launched into the air. Seamus threw a fireball at it while others just pushed it up again. Their fun didn't last long as the bird turned to ashes on the twins' desk.

Neville looked up at who caused for the fun to be over so soon; Umbridge. She had a satisfied smile on her lips as she started the class with a giggle. Umbridge made him feel very uncomfortable, distraught and above all, a little scared.

It made him anxious about the whole year. Last year he got a panic attack during the first DADA class of the year because their previous professor, Mad-Eye Moody, had tortured and killed an innocent spider right in front of them. It had been incredibly unsettling and Neville still had a hard time processing it.

Rose was seated next to the boy, trying to pay attention to the class. He knew that she always wanted to give people a chance but he could already see that she was not about to give Umbridge one, or at least, she already wasted her chance. If someone could upset Rose this much within the first week of their presence, they could not be up to any good.

Harry struck up an argument with their new professor about her new teaching method as Neville watched Rose's fingers trace the book they just received.

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" he asked. Umbridge approached him but Neville couldn't stop looking at Rose's fingers.

"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?" Umbridge responded to Harry. Their conversation drowned out in the background.

Neville snapped out of his thoughts when Rose looked over at him, the smile that was always on her lips not leaving for even a second. He felt his cheeks turn a pinkish-red.

His crush on her was getting worse. Two years ago when he started seeing her in this new light, he thought it may have just been late puberty messing with his thoughts, but he could not get her out his mind.

Her every freckle, movement, that little lip-sucking-thing she did when she was nervous, everything about her was perfect in his eyes. He got once again snapped out of his thoughts when Umbridge slapped her hand on his desk.

She grinned down at him, "Mr Longbottom if your thoughts are more important than my class, would you like to share them with us?" He quickly shook his head, hearing a few of his classmates laugh at him.

"Yeah, Neville! Share your deepest thoughts with us!" one of them shouted at him, followed by a comment from Malfoy about how he couldn't have deep thoughts without a brain.

"Enough!" Umbridge shouted, walking away from his desk again and continuing the class. He tried paying attention but it was hard.

Something was different about Rose today, there was a spark of excitement and nerves in her eyes that he could not quite place. He had never seen her like this before and for the first time in a long time, he didn't know how she was feeling.

The two of them knew every little detail about each other and when something was off they could immediately sense it, but today Neville couldn't place Rose's mood.

After the class, they left the room together and she chatted to him about something that had happened earlier in the Hufflepuff Basement. "So I said, 'No, if you're not on the schedule, you can't water the plants or they will get too much water and die,' so then he dropped the watering can, spilling water all over the floor and then he got all teared-eyed. I told him that I wasn't trying to be rude or anything but I was just w- Oh, hi Blaise," she interrupted her own story to greet her boyfriend with a kiss.

Neville couldn't help but wish it was him she was kissing.

"Oi! Longbottom, staring's rude mate," Goyle told him, snickering with his other half Crabbe. He looked down at his feet and pressed his lips into a line.

Rose and Blaise broke their kiss and she turned around to face the two chums.

"Ah! I bet you wish that was you, eh? Does someone have a little crush, Longbottom?" Draco joined in on the teasing. They grinned widely and pushed him against the wall. He stumbled back and sighed deeply.

Neville was used to the bullying, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Oi! Stop it! _Stop_ ," Rose stepped in, pulling Neville back, away from the bullies. They stepped back a little but just laughed at them. "You twats," she muttered under her breath.

She shared a look with Blaise who just sort of shrugged his shoulders. She sighed deeply and Neville could sense a hint of disappointment and hurt. "Let's go, Nev," she told him and quickly walked off with him.

"Bloody sods," she sighed and shook her head. "And the way Blaise just stood there? Merlin. I can't believe him. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," he told her. He wasn't hurt or anything, just a bit embarrassed.

Rose shook her head, an angry look on her face. She wasn't one to get angry but when someone bothered her friends, all hell broke loose. She was a true Hufflepuff at that.

"You shouldn't let them get to you. They're just a bunch of selfish, pure-blood supremacists," she hissed through her teeth. Neville looked at her worriedly, a hint of anxiety in his eyes. She looked back at him and then they both burst into laughter.

Neither of them could stay mad for long when they were around. They would crack up at the face of the other or simply relax in each other's presence.

"They genuinely are," he hiccupped. "But come on then, finish the story." She nodded and started talking again, moving her hands as she spoke like she always did.

"So I told him, I don't want to be mean, but if you water them, and then I water them, and then someone else waters them, they're going to get too much water and die. Only Prefects can take care of the plants. He started crying right in front of me," she said and grabbed his arm.

"You know I hate it when people cry so I immediately hugged him. I tried to comfort him and tell him it was okay, but he was so upset. He just really wanted to help us out, which is super sweet," she said. She let go of his arm again and hugged her arms to her body.

"So I promise him he could help me water the plants when it's my time to do so. I felt a little bad but he said he was fine," she finished the story.

"Sounds like he had an eventful day," Neville replied and scratched the back of his head. She nodded and smiled a little before her mouth turned into an 'o' shape.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, Sprout asked me if you and I could help her with the second class of the Second-Year students next week, Mandrakes. I looked at your schedule and you have a free period like me so I told her yes," she explained, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"You told her yes? What if I had plans?" he asked her. He didn't have plans, but he was just trying to tease her. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You have plans??" she asked. Her eyes went wide and a bright smile appeared on her lips, causing her dimples to appear. "Neville did you finally ask Hannah on a date?" she asked her friend. His stomach turned and a frown appeared on his face.

"Wait, why are you taking her on a date on a school day? Neville, don't do that, take her to Hogsmeade this weekend or something. That way you have more time and you can take her to dinner or something," she continued, already overly excited about it.

He stopped her from talking. "Wait- Wait, Rose, no. No, I haven't asked Hannah on a date. Why would I?" he asked her, a tad confused as to why everyone wanted him to ask Hannah out.

Sure, Hannah was nice and she was kind of pretty, but she was not Neville's type at all. She was naive, a true follower of the crowds, and they couldn't really have deeper conversations as she was a little dumb. Neville tried talking to her about Herbology once and she kept interrupting him to ask what some terms meant, though they had been studying it that very year.

"What do you mean why? Seamus told me that you like her and she never shuts up about you either," she said, shrugging her shoulders. _Seamus_. Of course, he would. "But, hey, how come you never told me you like her??"

"Because I don't like her, I li-" he couldn't finish his sentence as Dean Thomas joined in on their conversation. He was about to say he liked someone else; her.

"Hi guys," he greeted them. "What's going on here?"

"Hi Dean, Neville was just telling me he didn't ask Hannah out yet, though Seamus told me he did. You totally have a shot with her though, Nev," Rose said and looked at him. He could melt in her eyes.

"Totally, she is head over heels already! Even I can see that," Dean joined in. "She's right over there, why don't you ask her right now?" Neville shot him the best possible death glare he could express before shaking his head.

"No, I'm not gonna do it," he exclaimed. Rose let out a giggle and then started whining, pulling his sleeve.

"Come oooon," she whined. "Then you, Hannah, Blaise and I can go on double dates!" she suggested. "One date, and then you can still decide whether or not you want to keep dating her but... one date can't hurt."

He took a deep breath. Maybe he should ask her. It didn't look like she and Blaise were going to break up any time soon, not that Neville would have a chance if they did.

"Fine."

"Yes!" Rose and Dean high-fived each other excitedly. Neville sighed and walked over to Hannah who was talking to a friend of hers. They stopped talking when he showed up and he smiled awkwardly.

He turned around for a second, looking at his two friends who both stuck their thumbs up at him. He turned back to the blonde girl and fumbled with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Hi Hannah," he started. She greeted him back with a kind smile. "I wanted to ask you something," he continued.

His hands were sweating a bit. He was very nervous. He may not like her like that, but this was still the first time he would ask a girl out. Of course, last year he had asked Ginny to go to the Yule Ball together, but Ginny was just a friend.

"Alright, Neville. What's going on?" she asked him. Her friend quickly left, leaving the two of them alone to talk.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out with me sometime? Maybe we could go to Hogsmeade soon and grab dinner?" he asked her. His cheeks were bright red at this point.

She looked a little surprised but then smiled brightly. "Oh wow! Yes, absolutely, that sounds lovely," she replied excitedly.

He nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay, wicked," he said and then walked away again. He was going to go back to Rose but stopped walking when she saw him snog her boyfriend in the hallway. They must've made up again, he thought.

He walked passed them to the library. On the way over he thought about what he just did. He just asked someone out. It was a major thing for him, but he wasn't very excited about the date. 

He sat down in the corner of the library and pulled a book out of his back. Of course, he was excited to finally get into the whole dating scene as well but he had only ever dreamt of diving into that with Rose.

He had to find a proper way to get over his stupid crush on her. They were never going to get together and he had to accept that. She was his best friend and that should be enough. He sighed deeply and then bent over his book.

He loved reading up on Herbology. It was his favourite subject after all, from the first class until now it had been. No one ever really listened to his stories about it, they just found it annoying, except Rose. She could never get bored with his stories. Herbology was how their friendship had started.

It had been the third day of their time at Hogwarts and they had just finished their first Herbology class. They had gotten an introduction and an assignment to read more into Spiky Bushes and the Fire-Making Spell. Neville had immediately rushed to the library to work on it, as had Rose. They sat together and studied it together.

She immediately chatted the ears of his head about the massive garden she had at home and about all the little Herbology facts her grandfather had told her about.

He was shy but Rose was so warm and welcoming that he quickly opened up to her. She had instantly felt safe to him and he had never felt so comfortable with anyone else.

From that moment on they had started studying Herbology together and always shared new facts and findings minutes after learning them themselves. It was the start of a friendship that he would never want to end.

Now they didn't just talk about Herbology but they spoke about anything and everything that came to mind. He had never known a better friend than Rose.

He took his quill and ink and a piece of parchment from his bag and started working on an essay for the class. He wrote fast and didn't stop until his hand started hurting.

He looked up from the paper. He had gotten so lost in his essay and thoughts that he had completely lost track of time. The clock struck 5:30 pm and he quickly put his stuff back in his bag. It was time for dinner. He hurried over to the Great Hall and sat down with his friends.

"Alright there, mate," Seamus greeted him. He gave them a nod and a smile before putting some food on his own plate. "So, heard you finally asked Hannah out then?"

"Yeah, I did. Why'd you tell Rose that I already had?" he asked him. He wasn't necessarily angry, just confused as to why Seamus would do such a thing.

Seamus just shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, mate. Felt like if I didn't tell her, you were never going to do it anyway. Now you have a date with a lush girl and you can finally get over Rose," he told him.

In a way Seamus was right. This was the first step in getting over Rose, but still, he would have rather told her himself, though he couldn't be sure if he ever would've asked Hannah. Hannah wasn't his ideal girl but he would try to give her a chance. It was just a date. Just one.

"Hm, yeah. Next time don't mingle, okay," Neville said and poked his food with his fork.

"What's gotten you down, lad?" Fred asked him after bumping his shoulder.

"Last we heard you got yourself a date. Why so blue?" George asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Neville looked at the twins and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm fine. I do have a date soon," He told them. They shared a look and Fred patted him on the shoulder.

"Nicely done, mate," He said. Neville sighed a little and kept his head down. He didn't mind the twins, but he just wished everyone would give it a rest.

Yes, he had a date. Yes, it was kind of nice. But he didn't want to put this much pressure on it. He probably wouldn't even go on a second date with her so why bother telling everyone?


	6. Mandrakes and Earmuffs

_Rose_

Rose and Neville made their way to one of the greenhouses to help Professor Sprout during class today. Mandrakes were loud little plants and since every year one student would pass out during the class, Sprout had asked for back up. Neville, her best student, and Rose, her second-best student and Hufflepuff Prefect. Rose was secretly her favourite student, though Sprout knew it was unfair to have favourites.

She was like a daughter to her. They had tea parties every fortnight and Rose shared almost everything with her.

"Professor?" her voice echoed against the glass after she knocked on the door. Sprout called for them to come on in and so they did.

"Yes, yes, come in come in," she hurried them. "We're missing a few shovels, Neville can you grab them from Greenhouse 5 please? Rose, gather around some more pots if you will," she immediately gave them tasks. They didn't waste a second and started carrying them out right away.

Soon the class filled with a bunch of second-year students. Rose recognised a few of them as they were Hufflepuff's too. They all got to their places and Neville and Rose stood beside Sprout.

"Alright students, listen up. This is Mr Longbottom and Ms Firewood. They will help us today while we further discuss Mandrakes," Sprout started, silencing the class their chattering. "Last week we discussed the plant, today we will re-pot them. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?"

Discussing this topic gave Rose flashbacks to her second year. She was just a shy, nervous kid the first two years at Hogwarts but quickly blossomed into the social, open young-adult she was today. She was never shy around Neville though. From day one she had been sharing every thought with him.

One student raised his hand and answered the question correctly. "Excellent! Ten points to Ravenclaw! Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings their cries won't kill you yet," Sprout continued. A few children had frightened looks on their faces. "But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I have given each of you a pair of earmuffs for auditory protection. So, could you please put them on, right away? Quickly!" Sprout ordered the class.

Neville and Rose put theirs on as well. When they were taught about Mandrakes Neville had fainted, she couldn't help but grin at the memory. He wasn't too eager to have to haven again so he pressed them down firmly.

"Flaps tight down, and watch me closely. You grasp your Mandrake firmly, you pull it sharply up out of the pot," Sprout continued her class, showing the class how to do it. She pulled the plant out of the pot, the creature screaming and crying out. It was a ghastly sound, absolutely deafening even with the earmuffs.

Rose made sure Neville's colour didn't leave his cheeks again, but he seemed fine. The students groaned and pressed their earmuffs rightly onto their ears. "Got it? And now you dunk it down into the other pot," Sprout said, once again showing the class how to do it, "and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm."

"Right, now it's your turn. Grab it firmly, pull it out, and then dunk it into the other pot," she repeated the instructions once more before it was the turn of the students to repeat the process. They pulled their plants out, the room filling with loud screams. A few students managed to do it rather quickly, but Rose saw one girl pass out, dropping the plant on the floor.

She hurried over and within a few seconds managed to grab the plant, dunk it into the pot and add some soil, before kneeling down next to the girl. She sat her up against the wall and patted her cheeks lightly.

It was Eleanor Branstone, a Hufflepuff student, like her. The girl slowly opened her eyes again, blinking a few times in confusion before tears formed in her ears.

"Oi, no, no, that's not necessary. You're fine, Eleanor, you're doing fine," Rose quickly said, trying to calm her down. She took a few deep breathes with the girl, trying to prevent the tears from falling down.

She hated when people cried because it would often make her cry, even if it did not relate to her at all.

"Let's get some air, yeah?" she suggested, helping her up on feet. She was wobbling on her legs so Rose supported her. They walked outside together so she could get some fresh air.

"Right, children! Give her some space. Pay attention. Onto the next batch!" Professor Sprout ordered the rest while Rose stepped outside with Eleanor for a moment.

"Deep breaths now, Eleanor," she said, breathing in and out at a steady pace with the anxious girl. "You passed out but that's okay. You're doing fine now. Nothing's wrong, no one's angry, you're just fine," she repeated a few times until she stopped crying and calmed down again.

Eleanor's shaky breaths became more study again and she nodded. "See? You're doing okay!" Rose cheered a little and gave the girl a quick hug.

"T-thank you, Rose," she stuttered. Eleanor was a very sensitive girl, but a genuine sweetheart. She took a few deep breaths and then walked back into the greenhouse along with Rose. Rose stood next to Neville again and nudged his side with her elbow.

"You were out much longer than her three years ago," she teased him a little. He laughed a little, but a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. His ears turned a deep crimson and he mumbled something that she couldn't hear thanks to the earmuffs.

By the end of the class, the two were cleaning up the greenhouse while professor Sprout went to another one to prepare for her next class. Rose was using her wand to sweep up some dirt off the floor and the tables while Neville gave all the plants a new spot around the greenhouse.

"That was a pretty good class," Rose stated, starting up a conversation between the two of them. Neville agreed with her. "It seems like ages ago since we learned about Mandrakes. Although, you sort of skipped that class," she teased her friend a little.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard," he replied and bumped her shoulder a little. She chuckled and shook her head. She put her wand back in her pocket and picked up the last mandrake. When she turned around she bumped into Neville, whose face immediately went red again. Their faces were almost touching.

"Sorry, my bad!" she exclaimed and quickly walked past him. She didn't seem to notice the tension that Neville had felt. He inhaled sharply and told her it was alright, trying to shake it off.

"Hey, so I've been meaning to talk to you about something," she said. He looked at her and leaned back on the tables. She leaned against the small cupboard across it and rested her palms on its edge.

"What is it, Rose? Everything alright?" he asked worriedly.

She looked a little nervous, sucking in her bottom lip and avoiding eye-contact. She played with her fingers nervously before finally looking up at Neville, who had already created a million possible scenarios in his head, which all didn't exactly have a happy ending.

But all his scenarios were wrong. She was going to tell him about her and Blaise and how they had gone further than snogging, something they hadn't talked about just yet.

"Yeah, everything's fine, I just... I've been meaning to talk to you about something but somehow I just haven't yet. I don't know," she started rambling. "So anyway, Blaise and I have been fooling around a little and..." she took a deep breath before continuing.

She wasn't sure why she hadn't told him that they had been going further than kissing yet. She told Neville her deepest secrets but somehow she had kept this one for herself all summer already.

Now that they were back at Hogwarts, she and Blaise had already fooled around about four times, and they had only been back for ten days. With every touch, every look, she only wanted him more and more. She wasn't ashamed of it, but they had never talked about sex before.

Neville's face was the deepest shade of red she had ever seen on him and his eyes were big. He scratched the back of his head and looked away from her while she spoke. For a moment she thought she had made him uncomfortable so she immediately asked if he was okay. He answered quickly with a "Yeah, I'm fine, keep going," before she continued.

"Alright, well, I've been thinking and I kind of want to go all the way with him," she said slowly, her hands folded in front of her body. "We started doing some handwork right before the summer. Which was nice. And then during the summer, we kept it at that but last week I actually gave him a full-on blo-" she couldn't finish her sentence before a flabbergasted Neville interrupted her.

"If you're not ready for it, you shouldn't do it, and if you are then... then make sure he is too and that he treats you well," he told her, speaking rather fast. She still thought that she had made him uncomfortable, so she apologized.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable by talking about this," she said quickly. He immediately shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't have to be sorry, Rose. I reckon you are my best friend, you know you can talk to me about anything, so even this. I'm not uncomfortable. I just want to make sure you don't do anything you're not ready for," he added in response.

Merlin, he truly was the best friend she could ask for.

"Okay, yes, you're right. If we're both ready we totally could do it. Besides, from my part, it's getting harder and harder not to go any further. I mean, have you seen Blaise? Merlin, my boyfriend's totally fit," she giggled a little.

She felt her blood rush to her cheeks just by thinking about him. The way he made her feel was incredible, and she was sure that she wanted to share her first time with him. They had been together for almost two years now and it felt good.

"Just be safe, and make sure you're both ready," he reminded her once again. She nodded and then picked up her coat from the rack.

"I'll make sure, Nev," she said, putting it on. He followed her lead and they left the greenhouse, locking it before taking off. "So, Neville, where are you taking Hannah this weekend? I reckon the Three Broomsticks could be a nice place for a first date," she carried on the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm taking her there. Just going to grab some dinner, have a chat," he said casually. He shrugged his shoulders and swung his bag over his shoulder.

"And kiss?" she asked. She bumped his shoulder gently and wiggled her eyebrows, smiling brightly. He chuckled a little at her and shook his head.

"I don't know. Probably not," he said. "I don't like her as much as you all think I do, Rose," he confessed to her.

She nodded and looked over at him. "Yeah, I can sense you're not 100% in it, but can you give it a chance at least? Just one, like I said, one date. No pressure, just a fun night out with a friend?" she asked him. "And if you don't like her, that's fine too. Then at least you gave it a shot."

"I know. I'll give it a chance," he reminded her. "But the guys keep putting so much pressure on it, and I don't know," he sighed.

"What it is Nev?" she asked, worried about him. "If you don't want to at all you can still cancel, she'll be alright."

"No, no, I don't want to cancel," he said quickly. She frowned a little, confused about what was bothering him.

"I don't understand, Neville. What's bothering you? Can you try to explain?" she asked him and hooked her arm with his.

"Not really. I mean," he sighed, "yeah, it would be nice to finally go out with someone. I've never even kissed anyone before, but I don't know. I fear I already know how it's going to end."

She shook her head and let out a slight chuckle. "No, you don't. When I said I'd go on a date with Blaise I thought it would go horribly as well. Figured he'd probably not ask me out again after realising how much I can talk," she said and scratched the back of her head.

"But he did ask me out again. And now we've been dating for two years. You never know what's going to happen. You can't make assumptions for other people, Nev."

Her grandfather had told her that when she was five. Her mother always made assumptions for others and at one point it made Rose believe she could read minds. Her grandfather reminded her that her mother was just speculating, something he believed can be harmful to both parties, and she thought he was right about that.

"I know, Rose," he said and nodded. "It's just a date. But I just wanted to remind you how I feel about Hannah. Yeah, she's pretty and she is kind but I can't say she's really my type."

"From what you know! But you barely know her and besides, what even is your type?" she asked and raised an eyebrow. "Ginny isn't your type, Luna isn't your type, that other Gryffindor girl isn't your type, now Hannah isn't your type. I'm starting to think you don't have a type."

She looked at him and her eyes went wide. "Neville, do you think you might be into guys? Or into no one? That's a possibility too. And a totally valid one at that," she whispered. He shook his head.

"No, Rose. I'm pretty sure I'm straight and I'm definitely into people. Just not them," he said and shrugged his shoulders. She nodded.

"Okay. Well, I think I'm straight too. Well, no, I don't know," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe?" he questioned her.

Most of the time she didn't even think about it. She was with Blaise and that was that. Labels were not that big of a deal to her anyways. But she had found girls attractive, but she wasn't sure if it was in a sexual and romantic way, or just because she thought everyone had pretty features.

She saw beauty in everyone. She didn't care about someone's exterior, as long as they had a good heart she was sure she could possibly be into them.

"I mean, girls are pretty too," she said and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I might be bisexual, like Lee Jordan, you know. But I don't know. I'm not that big on labels, I think," she said casually.

"That's fine too," he said and kissed the top of her head, making her smile. "I don't care what your sexuality is, as long as you're happy."

"I know. I feel the same way regarding you," she responded. It meant a lot to her that he reacted this way, though she hadn't expected anything else from him.

"But, back to you. What's your type then?" she asked him. They walked back into the Hogwarts corridors, lowering their voices as they spoke. He looked over at her and hesitated for a moment. "Actually," she said, "fuck the concept of types. I wouldn't call Blaise my type, thinking about it, but I still love him a lot."

"Yeah, I just gotta have a connection with someone, you know," he said and nodded.

"Exactly. A true connection is much more important than a list to go by when looking for a partner," she stated, he agreed.

She truly loved Blaise, but if she had to write down what she looked for in a person, he wouldn't exactly match that description. He was a bit more quiet and grumpy than she would think she would go for, but she loved him no matter what.

"Speaking off the devil," she said and looked over at her boyfriend who was at the end of the hallway with Pancy. "Catch you later?" she said to Neville.

"See you around," he said before they parted ways.

She walked over to Blaise who greeted her with a kiss. Pansy greeted her with a fake smile but Rose greeted her back with a genuine one.

The two girls didn't get along but that wasn't Rose's fault. She had genuinely tried to be friends with Blaise's friends but they weren't exactly welcoming to her.

"Where did you come from?" Blaise asked her. She gestured behind her.

"Neville and I helped Sprout during a class. It was really nice," she started, a smile growing on her lips again. "It went great. One girl passed out, but the other pupils didn't. I helped her through it. It reminded me of when we had our first mandrake class, remember when-"

"Blaise, we were discussing our essays?" Pansy sighed, interrupting Rose's excitement.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, Pansy," she apologized.

"How about I'll catch you later?" Blaise asked Rose. She frowned a little but then nodded.

"Um, yeah, of course. No problem," she said and turned around. He quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. He pressed his lips onto hers, making her smile again.

"I'll see you at dinner," he said and lifted up her chin with his fingers. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said and pressed another peck on his lips before walking off again.


	7. Butterbeer

_Neville_

He nervously twirled around after Rose asked him to do so. She squealed in excitement and cheered him on. His cheeks turned a deep crimson and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"You look absolutely fantastic Neville!" she told him. "You look even better than at the Yule Ball last year!" Her dimples were showing from smiling so much.

Neville was wearing a blue-greyish blouse along with a grey vest. His pants were a shade of dark blue that perfectly matched the top part of the outfit. Overall, he looked very handsome tonight. His hair was done nicely, but Rose thought it was a little _too_ nicely so she ruffled it up just a tad.

"Thank you, Rosie," he said, smiling sweetly at her. He was kind of nervous and excited about his date with Hannah but he still couldn't stop wishing that it was with Rose.

He held the bouquet of flowers that he picked for his date in his left-hand while Rose picked some fluff off his shoulder. He watched her as she did, her eyebrows furrowed together and her bottom lip sucked in as she focused on making him all ready for his date.

"I wish Blaise would take me out, get me flowers, and have a little romantic evening together again. He used to get me roses a lot, knowing how much I love roses, but he hasn't in a while," she sighed dreamily about her boyfriend, looking up at Neville again.

Neville nodded, humming a 'yeah' in-between nods. "Anyway, Hannah is lucky to go on a date with a lush looking guy like you," she said, bopping her finger on his nose once to make his smile grow again.

He nodded shyly and fixed his collar again. Rose took his hands away and gave him a stern look. "It's fine. You look amazing," she told him again. Neville had gained a slight bit of confidence, but Rose knew he had a lot more learning to do. She patted his chest and then took a step back.

He took a deep breath and nodded at her. "Okay, I-I'm ready," he stuttered and pressed his lips together for a moment.

"You're going to have a great time, love," she encouraged him. "Don't stress it. You know Hannah. Like I told you, you're just taking a friend out tonight, yeah?" she reminded him.

He nodded again. "Yeah. It's just one date," he confirmed and took a deep breath.

"Alright. Good luck, Nev," she said and kissed his cheek before performing the secret knock on the Hufflepuff Basement's barrel. It opened and she entered the Basement to get his date.

Hannah was waiting in the common room and Rose let her know that her date was waiting outside for her. She wished them a good time before the blonde girl met up with Neville.

"Hi, Neville," Hannah's soft voice spoke. He immediately handed her over the flowers and she thanked him politely for the gorgeous, carefully put together a bouquet of wildflowers. He had put quite some work in it, as he always did.

"You're welcome. You look really... beautiful," he said shyly. They had been friends for five years but that didn't make the poor boy any less nervous.

Hannah was dressed in a white dress with small sunflowers embroidered on it. She had a grey cardigan on top and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She was wearing some makeup, but not too much. Neville thought she looked quite pretty.

"Thank you. You look really handsome yourself," she replied, a faint blush on her cheeks. He smiled a little in return and thanked her.

He offered his hand and she took it, and together they left the castle. They chatted all the way on the Hogwarts Express towards Hogsmeade about their classes, the changing atmosphere at school that Umbridge was creating, their summers, anything and everything really. They even held hands while they walked from the station towards the Three Broomsticks. The date started off great.

Neville had made reservations so they got directed to their table directly, skipping a short line. They got a table in the back, next to a window. In-between them there was a candle, shining enough light on the both of them to be able to see each other's face.

He pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. He sat down across from her and cleared his throat. "So, there we are," he said and smiled a little. She nodded excitedly. Before she could say anything, a waitress came to their table to take their order.

"Hi. Welcome to the Three Broomsticks. What can I get for you tonight?" the waitress asked them. She didn't seem too excited to take their order, a bored look on her face.

"You can go first," Neville said and gestured to Hannah.

"I'll have a butterbeer and Cornish pasty with salad, please," she ordered.

"And for you?" the waitress asked him after her magic quill wrote down what Hannah had said.

"Butterbeer and Shepherd's pie please," he ordered. The waitress took off again and Neville turned back to his date, who carried on the conversation.

"So, I heard you and Rose helped Professor Sprout out with a second-years class this week. How was it? Did you enjoy it?" she questioned him. 

"Quite, yeah. I mean, anything regarding Herbology is nice, but helping those younger students out was even better, honestly. They were eager to learn," he told her excitedly. Herbology was his life. He enjoyed it more than anything else.

"That sounds nice. Would you like to become a Herbology professor someday?" she asked, trying to prevent any awkward silences between the two of them.

Though Neville may have not been crushing on Hannah, Hannah certainly was on him. It confused him a little, as he wasn't sure why a cute girl like Hannah would like someone like him, but he just went with it.

"Yeah, maybe. That sounds quite nice, honestly," he nodded, smiling at her. "What about-" The waitress interrupted their conversation for a moment to bring their drinks and food.

"Thank you," Hannah said politely. The waitress shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and took off again. The pair shared a look and then continued their conversation. "She's a bit strange," she stated.

"Yeah, she is. At least the food came rather quickly," Neville said and shrugged his shoulders. "But I was going to ask; what about you? What are your plans for the future?" he questioned her before putting a piece of his food in his mouth.

"Oh, I'm not quite sure yet. I've always been interested in working at the Leaky Cauldron as well. My parents know Tom, the owner, quite well. But maybe I want to become a Healer. Both seem like nice options to have," she explained to him.

The whole time they had been together her cheeks had a pink glow on them. Neville couldn't blame her for her nerves, he was a wreck himself, but he thought she should be a little more confident like Rose was.

In the end, he just wanted Hannah to be Rose, so his judgement wasn't necessarily a fair one. But still, he thought that she should be more confident as she was a great person.

"That sounds cool," he said and nodded. "Do you think you're going to be able to pass all the O.W.L.'s needed to become a Healer?" He asked her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said and smiled with one corner of her mouth. "But Rose offered to help out, she's super smart." She was, he thought so too. She was one of the smartest students in their year.

"That's nice of her," he said and smiled a little thinking about her. "Have you started working on your Charms essay yet?"

Their first date ended when Neville dropped Hannah off in front of the Hufflepuff Basement again. "It was nice," he said and smiled a little. "I'll see you around," he said awkwardly, not sure how to end their date properly.

Overall it had been a good date. He even forgot about Rose for a few moments. Hannah was kind, just a little naive, but he appreciated how social she was. There were barely any silences and they had a lot of topics to talk about. It had seemed to go rather easy between the two of them.

He was about to turn around and walk off when she stopped him and gently pressed her lips against his lips. He was stunned but quickly kissed her back, his eyes fluttering shut. He placed his hands on her hips as he had seen Blaise do to Rose a bunch of times before. He tilted his head a little and deepened their kiss ever so slightly.

Her lips were soft and melted into his. Her hands were cupping his face and she slowly stroked his cheek with her thumb. The scent of the perfume she wore filled his nose and he got lost in his thoughts about how nice it was to kiss Hannah. He couldn't even overthink it or doubt himself because it felt like he had done this a million times before.

When she pulled back again he looked at her with wide eyes. "Goodnight, Neville," she said, her cheek even pinker than before. His cheeks turned as red as the signature colour of Gryffindor.

"Yeah, goodnight, Hannah," he stuttered a little before walking away. He was pretty amazed that she had given him a kiss. He had never been kissed by a girl before. It was nice, he thought, amazing. He was so lost in his thoughts about the kiss that he didn't even hear Rose call out his name until she tapped him repeatedly on his shoulder.

"Hello? Earth to Neville?" she said, a smirk on her lips. "What are you dreaming about, cheeky boy?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Rose, oh..." he said, snapping out of his thoughts about the feeling of Hannah's lips on his. It felt quite nice, he thought. "I just dropped Hannah off again," he told her, pointing behind him where he had just come from.

"I figured, I mean, that is the way to the Hufflepuff Basement after all," she giggled. He nodded and pressed his lips together.

"So, how was it? Did you have a good time?" she started questioning him about the date, "You did pay, right? And did she like the flowers you gave her? What did you guys talk about?"

He chuckled a little at her excitement before he told her about how it went. "So then I paid, we walked through Hogsmeade - yes we were holding hands again- and then we got onto the Hogwarts Express and we chatted until I dropped her off. There weren't any awkward silences, really," he explained.

She squinted her eyes a little at him and tilted her head. "I mean, it sounds like you had a lovely time with her and all, but for someone who never even considered dating her in the first place, you seem a little more excited than _that_ all could've caused," she said, a little unsure as to why Neville had looked like he was on cloud 9 a few moments before.

His face turned deep red once again and he fumbled with the hem of his blouse. "Y-yeah well, she kissed me just now," he said, watching how Rose's eyes widened and her dimples became visible.

"YOU KISSED!?" she cheered loudly. He hushed her immediately, not sure if he wanted anyone else to know yet. She removed his hand from her mouth. "Oh, cut it out, there's no one else here," she said quickly. "But Neville, you snogged her! She was your first kiss right?" He nodded slowly, a slight smile appearing on his lips again.

"Yeah, she was actually," he said, scratching the back of his head. Rose embraced her friend tightly and let out a giggle.

"Sweet, I'm so happy for you!" she said happily, smiling up at him. "So, will you take her on another date? Did this maybe help you gain some sort of crush?" She was a curious girl.

He wanted to say no and tell her that the next girl that he would take on a date was her but then he noticed a red-purple-ish mark on the side of her neck. "What happened?" he asked her, gesturing to her neck. She quickly covered it, looking at him nervously.

"Wait, there's a mark? Oh fuck, I told him to be careful," she said, shaking her head. He realized she was in front of him, not behind him, where she would've been if she had come from the Hufflepuff Basement. She just came from a meet up with Blaise.

"Yeah, but I don't think anyone will notice if you wear your blouse, the collar may just be high enough," he reassured her. She nodded and covered it with her hand for now.

"But to answer your question," he said, his thoughts told him that should _genuinely_ give up on Rose, "I will take her on another date. Why not? It was a nice evening out, so yeah." He shrugged his shoulders.

It was an enjoyable night and he was ready to move on. He had to. Hannah was a sweet girl and he genuinely felt like things went nice and smooth with her so far, so he figured to give her a genuine shot.

"Oh, Neville! That's great! Can we go on a double date soon? Would you like that?" she asked, clapping her hands together once. He nodded, smiling at how happy she looked.

"Of course, we can. I'll ask her this week," he said, giving her a hug. He was happy about the date and the kiss, though he had to remind himself of it quite a few times.

"This is amazing. I'm so happy for you, Nev. You deserve it more than anyone I know," she told him and patted his shoulder.

"Thanks, Rosie," he said and ruffled her hair. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Nev," she said and waved at him before walking off. He walked back to the Gryffindor Tower and made his way to his dormitory. When he walked in he got overwhelmed by Seamus and Dean.

"So, how was it?" Dean asked, jumping up from his bed.

"Yeah, did you kiss her?" Seamus asked, join Dean and crossing his arms.

Neville chuckled a little and sat down on his bed. "Yeah, we kissed. It was quite nice, honestly," he told them as he took his shoes off.

"Oooh, Neville had his first kiss," Seamus announced.

"Alright, mate, nice one," Ron said and nodded at him.

"Brilliant," Harry said and granted him a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks," he said and chuckled a little again. They were nice but they were once again making a bigger deal out of it than he liked.

"So, tell us then, mate," Seamus said and stepped up in front of him. "How was it then? Did she use her tongue?"

"Seamus!" Dean exclaimed and hit his chest, laughing. Neville blushed a little but shook his head.

"No, of course not," Neville spoke up. "But it was quite nice, her lips were nice," he continued, "Nice and soft."

They had been. He had never kissed a girl before but it went easier than he had expected it to go. He didn't have to overthink it, it just sort of happened. Everything between them had just sort of happened. He liked how easy it went.

"Look at him, all in his thoughts about her already," Ron said with a chuckle.

"Think Neville's finally over R-" Seamus started but Dean hit his chest.

"Think Neville's finally crushing on someone," he quickly interrupted Seamus.

Seamus and Dean knew about how he felt about Rose, but Ron and Harry didn't. Neville wasn't keen on the idea of everyone knowing about it. The risk of Rose finding out about it would become greater, and he was sure he was never going to tell her.

"No, I am not," he quickly replied, snapping out of his thoughts. "Just had a nice evening is all, don't make it weird," he laughed a little and shrugged his shoulders.

"Having a crush isn't weird. Ain't that right Harry? Or have you gotten over Cho by now?" Seamus asked him, turning away from Neville. He heard a loud thud and saw how Seamus got hit by a pillow thrown by Harry. They all laughed a little at Seamus's stunned face before a pillow fight between the five roommates started. They may have been young-adults now, but they were still just boys at heart.


	8. Rose Petals

** 18+ nsfw **

_Rose_

Late in the afternoon on a Monday, Rose felt a tap on her shoulder. She was in the library, doing some revision on the Cheering Charm for Charms class. The Cheering Charm was one of her favourites simply for the reason being that it brought joy to people.

She rested her finger on the page where she was reading and then looked up into a pair of brown eyes. A smile grew on her lips. "Hi Blaise," she said, motioning him to sit down next to her but he shook his head.

He held his hand out for her to grab and she did without hesitation. He helped her stand up and then revealed a beautiful bouquet of red roses from behind his back. Her eyes widened and her lips curled into an even bigger smile.

"You got me roses?" she asked him in pure disbelief. She took the bouquet, smelling the flowers before hugging him tightly. She thanked him politely and he pressed a kiss on her cheek. She had been hoping he'd make some sort of romantic gesture soon again.

He used to get her flowers every fortnight when they first started dating, then it was every month, then it suddenly stopped.

"Of course, baby," he replied and let his hands rest on her waist while she admired the bouquet. "If you're done studying, I figured we could hang out? I have a surprise for you," he suggested. 

She nodded immediately, surely not wanting to pass up on some alone time with her boyfriend, especially not if he had a surprise for her.

"Let me just grab my books and we can go," she said quickly, turning around and picking up her book, notebook, quill and ink and putting it in her bag. She swung the bag around her shoulder, still holding the bouquet ever so tightly. She felt butterflies in her stomach, something she hadn't felt so strongly in a while.

Maybe her judgements about their relationship had all been in her head. Maybe they had just gone through a patch, which would explain why the sparks had faded ever so slightly. Maybe he was trying to fix it. There was one thing she was sure about; he still loved her, and she still loved him.

He kept his hand on her waist as they walked through the corridors. She happily chatted to him about her afternoon, a faint blush on her cheeks while she did. Rose didn't blush around other people often except around Blaise.

He could make her giggle and get all shy like when they first started dating and she was all nervous about how much she liked him. Almost two years had passed and she had never expected for them to get this far when he had first asked her out.

She was just gaining some confidence and over the summer her body had changed. He had always been the mysterious guy and she had noticed how much taller he had gotten over that same summer. He had flashed her a smile during dinner once and afterwards he had gone up to her to chat. He immediately asked her out and without thinking twice she said yes.

The pair walked over to their secret spot in the kitchen corridor and Blaise opened up the door for her. When she walked in she was struck with surprise. She stopped in her tracks and covered her mouth with one hand. She heard the door close behind her and then Blaise's hand slide around her waist again.

"Surprise," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on the side of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

The pillows and blankets were perfectly spread out and there were candles floating in the air, creating a romantic atmosphere. On the blankets rose petals were spread out and a heart-shaped box of chocolates lay in the middle along with a bottle of Daisyroot Draught next to it, together with two glasses.

She turned around to face her boyfriend and smiled brightly at him. She dropped her bag and the bouquet on the floor before kissing him passionately.

She was completely speechless. She held his face in her hands while he pulled her closer by her waist. Their kiss was full of love and she melted in his arms. For a moment she pulled back, resting her forehead against his.

"You did all this for me?" she whispered, catching her breath after the kiss they just shared. He nodded and gave her waist a squeeze.

He could make her feel like the only girl in the world in a second. To her, he was home. She could spend days after days with him and never want to leave. He was her safe haven.

"Yeah, of course, anything for you," he said, his lips brushing against her as he spoke. His voice was low and gruff. "I wanted it to be perfect for you. It's been two years since I asked you out," he added, pulling his head back a little to look at her face.

"Two years already? Wow... Never thought that I would fall this hard for you two years ago," she whispered and granted him a gentle smile. She stroked her thumb on his cheek and took a deep breath. "But with you, _it_ would've been perfect either way," she continued.

She was ready to go all the way tonight, so was he. They hadn't discussed a day but if he had planned this all out for them tonight, tonight would be the perfect moment. His lips turned into a smile before he pressed them onto hers once more. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly and deepened their kiss for a moment.

The pair sat down on the blanket and pillows. Blaise poured them both a glass of Daisyroot Draught, which was her favourite alcoholic drink. They clinked their glasses together.

Rose felt her heartbeat raise just by being with him. He had an effect on her that no one else ever had. She was very much in love with him.

"To us," he said before taking a sip. She drank some as well, the bitter aftertaste making her nose scrunch up a little. She liked Daisyroot Draught a lot but the first sip was always a bit icky. He chuckled at her face and shook his head lightly. "You're adorable," he spoke, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

The blush on her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red and she shyly looked away. She felt warm inside from the fact that he had done all this for her. It made her feel special again, valued.

They chatted a bit about how their day had been before the bottle and glasses were put aside. They laid down in each other's arms and started to slowly make-out.

She kept her hands on his cheek and neck while he had one straddling her waist and the other one to hold himself up. Their slow make-out session didn't last too long as quickly their kiss turned more passionate.

They both had a certain hunger for each other that only the other one could satisfy.

Rose got chills from the way Blaise's fingers felt on her bare skin as they slipped under her shirt. It felt familiar, yet exciting.

A soft whimper left her lips, which only encouraged Blaise more. He moved his lips over to her neck, knowing exactly which spots were most sensitive for her. When he reached her soft spot, he started to suck on it, slowly leaving a red mark.

She loved receiving hickeys but hated how long his always remained on her skin. He didn't just love giving them but he also loved how flustered she would get after noticing them on herself in the mirror.

Her breathing became faster and she felt her heart race. Though she was ready, she was still a little nervous. She felt comfortable and safe with Blaise, and she knew he could make her feel so _so_ good.

She let her hand rest on his chest and then started fumbling with the buttons of his blouse. She managed to unbutton his blouse completely and let her hands trace his toned chest down to his abs.

She knew each muscle, each line, on his body by now but she still admired it dearly. He worked out quite often, mainly for Quidditch, and it definitely paid off.

In the meantime, he worked on taking her skirt off along with her jumper. She quickly pulled it over her head, breaking physical contact between them for a second before his lips found their way back to her soft skin.

He kissed down to her chest, unclasping her bra in the back. She slid it off and then threw it aside, while he finally took his blouse off.

He kissed all the way down, pulling her panties off in the meantime. He planted a soft kiss on her clit before she felt his tongue swirl around it which caused a loud whimper to leave her lips.

He trailed his fingers along with her opening, feeling how wet she was already getting, before slowly pushing one in, making her arch her back ever so slightly.

Her whimpers became louder and faster as he quickened his pace. His tongue flicked her clit and his finger curled up inside of her. He gave her thigh a soft squeeze with his free hand, stimulating her body more.

She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back into the pillow underneath it. She could feel herself get wetter with each thrust of his finger and it didn't take long before she felt a tingling feeling in her lower stomach.

"B-Blaise," she whimpered, biting on her bottom lip for a moment before letting it plop back and letting out a moan. "I'm getting-" before she could even finish her sentence he pulled his finger out and removed his tongue from her clit. She looked down at him, her eyes big and her eyes furrowing into a frown.

"Not yet, baby," he said, moving himself up. He grabbed her face and pulled her close to him. Their faces were closed and they stared into each other's eyes just for a moment. He then proceeded to kiss her deeply, holding her by the back of her head, his fingers entangled in her hair.

She closed her eyes yet again, resting her hands on his chest for a moment before she moved them down. It was her turn to get him going. When she moved her hand down she could already feel his bulge harden. He turned on his back, still holding onto her ever so tightly.

She rubbed him a little over his pants, her lips moving down to his neck. A soft groan escaped his lips, creating a slight smirk on Rose's face. He may have known what got her going but she knew what he liked as well.

She unbuttoned his pants and slide them down slightly before sliding her hand down his black boxers. She slowly started to stroke him and a few more groans escaped his lips. She left a love bite right behind his ear.

"My turn," she whispered and kissed his lips deeply before making her way down.

As her lips explored his body, her hand didn't stop stroking for even a second. She pulled his boxers down with her other hand, completely exposing him.

Her lips wrapped around the tip and she started to move her head down. He placed his hand on the back of her head, gripping her hair and groaning out in pleasure. She moved her head as far down as she could without gagging, which was already further than the first time she tried.

" _Fuck_... You look so good doing that, baby girl," he told her, biting his bottom lip as they made eye-contact for a moment. Her hand stroked where she couldn't reach with her lips and she applied pressure with her tongue, exactly how he liked it.

She kept going until his moans became a little too familiar and she could sense he was coming closer with each movement. He was throbbing in her move already so she pulled her lips away quickly. She moved back up to him and drew circles on his chest as they looked at each other for a moment.

His eyes expressed lust and love and all he wanted was her. Her dimples were showing slightly and her eyes were full of love.

The tension between them arose again and Blaise pushed down on her back. His lips found their way back to hers and their tongues danced passionately together.

One of his hands was between her neck and shoulder, while he kept himself up with his other elbow. She had one hand on his back and the other one on the back of his neck.

He pulled back for a moment, locking eyes with her again. "Are you sure you're ready?" he asked, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. She nodded and trailed her fingertips along with a muscle on his back.

"Yes, I'm ready. Are you?" she asked in response. He nodded, smiling sweetly at her before kissing her once more, a bit gentler this time.

This was the most intimate they had ever been so far. For her, it was the first time she would have sex ever and he wanted it to be perfect. They kissed deeply and held onto each other tightly.

He slowly pushed the tip in. She moaned loudly, pulling away from their kiss for a moment. It hurt a little but the pain was mixed with great pleasure as he slowly pushed himself in deeper. A few groans escaped his mouth. She held onto his back tightly as a gasp escaped her lips. She had never felt such pleasure.

"Fuck you feel so good," Blaise moaned in her ear, sucking on the skin behind it a little. The hairs on her neck stood on end from his words.

She whimpered in response. He didn't push himself in all the way just yet but slowly started thrusting in and out of her.

The feeling of her boyfriend thrusting felt better than any other touch had felt before. Both of their breathing became faster and shorter.

Rose moaned deeply into Blaise's shoulder, holding onto him tightly. "Oh, _oh!_ Blaise... yeah!" The slight bit of pain she had felt before faded quickly and she got overwhelmed by the great amount of pleasure.

He held her hips down with one hand, speeding up his thrust slightly at the sound of her pleasured moans. "You like that, don't you," he groaned in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

She nodded and turned her face to him. They locked eyes for a moment before she shortly pressed her lips onto his. With a new, harder, thrust her lips left his again as she let out a high whimper.

A slight smirk grew on his lips and he pushed himself in a little deeper. He was trying to make sure to please her, not hurt her. She tightened around him and pushed her nails into his back. Her muscles tensed up and her back arched slightly, pushing her chest closer against his.

" _Blaise_!!" she exclaimed his name loudly. She felt herself getting closer with each thrust, the tingling feeling in her stomach returning. Her inner thighs felt hot and she felt pleasure throughout her whole body. It was heavenly.

He groaned a little at the feeling of her nails in his back and left another hickey on her collarbone. "B-Blaise, I don't think that I'm going to be much longer," she whimpered, breathing fast.

Their bodies were intertwined together and he looked at her as she moaned in pleasure. Her cheeks were rosy red and her hair was a mess, but she looked ever so beautiful to him.

He kept thrusting into her until her legs started to shake and she reached her climax, moaning out his name in pleasure. Her eyes rolled back, her back arched and she felt a release that she had never felt before.

He had made her reach her climax before but not like _this_.

He slowed his thrusts until he finished himself before pulling out and collapsing next to her. She immediately cuddled into him, resting her head on his chest.

They were both trying to catch their breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to his heartbeat as he pulled another blanket over them. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head and asked if she was doing okay.

"I'm fine, great really," she reassured him. She smiled up at him, her dimples as deep as ever. He caressed her cheek and smiled back at her. "I love you so much, Blaise."

"I love you too," he whispered and kissed her forehead gently. She sighed happily and drew circles on his chest with her fingers.

She was tired, but still full of excitement from what they had just done. She loved Blaise more than anything and she was happy she had shared this moment with him.

The couple stayed for another hour or so before they both got dressed and left to go to their dormitories to get tucked in for the night.


	9. Professor Potter

_Neville_

Hermione had gathered a group of students in Hog's Head Inn on a cold Saturday afternoon. Neville and Rose were sitting down next to each other, waiting for them to explain why they were all there. They each had their suspicions, but still, they couldn't know for sure.

He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up a little. His scarfs and gloves weren't helping much. Inside the pub, it was almost as cold as it was outside. He couldn't wait to be back at Hogwarts and sit by the fire to do some reading.

"D'you know why we're here?" Rose asked him, leaning closer so she could keep her voice quiet. He shrugged his shoulders. She leaned so close to him that he could smell her perfume.

Rose always smelt like lipgloss and the perfume she got from her mother each year for her birthday; _Douzaine de Roses_. She sat back in her chair and checked out her nails. Neville's eyes followed her movement before he looked away.

He shouldn't look at her like that. Especially since he and Hannah were definitely getting closer. He had started to like her a lot. They spent a lot of time together and everything went smoothly with her. But getting over someone you've been crushing over for years doesn't happen overnight, he knew that. It was crazy anyway, she was his best friend, nothing would ever happen between them.

Hermione cleared her throat, causing everyone to stop talking and pay attention to her. "Hi, so you all know why we're here," she started talking. She sounded nervous, but Neville could imagine why. He would have probably passed out if he were in her position. Speaking in front of a big crowd wasn't exactly his strong suit.

"We need a teacher," she continued, "A proper teacher. One who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts." There was a slight frown on Rose's face that let him know that she was trying to focus hard on Hermione's words.

"Why?" a student asked. How could they be so oblivious? Neville hated how everyone was treating Harry as someone would lie about seeing a fellow student get murdered. They all just followed the ministry's word like it was the only source of truth, but ministers lied often, his grandmother had told him that many times. He believed Harry. No one would be that shook up if they didn't just fight off a Dark Lord. Cedric Diggory was killed with no mercy, who else would've done that?

"Why? Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot," Ron fired back at the student, shaking his head in disbelief. A small discussion started before Harry finally spoke up, upset that they had dared to mention Cedric's passing.

"I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, clear out now," he said. He turned to Hermione, whispering something to her. Rose and Neville shared a concerned look. They had discussed this topic a few times already and they both felt the same way about it.

Umbridge wasn't teaching them anything and since Voldemort was back, they needed to know how to defend themselves. Rose also reckoned that Harry was telling the truth. The people who questioned Harry's credibility were the same people who believed the ministry and the Daily Prophet in a heartbeat.

Her mother despised the Daily Prophet, mainly because her second ex-husband worked for them, but also because they worked so closely with the ministry that they were basically just handing out propaganda, which is how Rose got her ideas about it as well. Her mother was many things, but she wasn't oblivious to what was truly going on behind those ministries doors. 

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Neville looked at the person who asked it; Luna Lovegood. He thought she was a little mental but he quite liked her. She was a bit of an outsider, like him.

"Yes. I've seen it," Hermione answered her question. A few students seemed quite impressed, and it was impressive for that matter. A Patronus Charm wasn't an easy charm to cast, especially for young wizards and witches like them.

"Blimey, Harry. I didn't know you could do that," Dean confessed and Rose nodded along with him.

"And he killed a basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville said, speaking up. He was done staying silent. He knew the truth about Harry Potter, he had to stand up for what he thought was right. Ginny confirmed his statement and Ron continued summing up Harry's accomplishments.

"Third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once," he stated. Rose's eyes shot wide open. She knew Harry had been in danger but she wasn't aware all this had happened to him, like many others. She wasn't close with them, though Neville saw her hang out with Hermione quite often, and the details of the events that had happened prior years weren't always discussed with the Hogwarts students. Even if they were, the stories told often changed along the way.

"Last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Hermione said proudly. 

"Wait! Wait. Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help," Harry said, debunking the credit he had just been given. 

Hermione shrugged it off with a; "He's just being modest," but Harry wasn't quite excited about the praise.

"No, Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school," he told them. "In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes. You don't know what that's like," he finished, shaking his head lightly.

He was absolutely right. They didn't know what it was like and Neville wasn't too eager to find out.

"No, we don't. But we need to know how to protect ourselves in case it does happen," Rose spoke up quietly. "And I don't think Umbridge will help us learn how to protect ourselves against dark magic, so we need to learn from someone else," she added quickly.

"If we're going to have any chance at beating," Hermione added onto her, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "Voldemort." The whole room went silent and everyone was looking at Harry. Nigel was the one to break the silence.

"He's really back?" he questioned. Harry nodded slightly. Rose looked over at Neville, who looked back at her. There was an expression of anxiety in her eyes. He pressed his lips into a line and breathed out deeply, his warm breath visible in the cold air. Both had almost given up hope that Harry would say yes when he finally spoke up.

"Alright. I'll teach you," he told them. A smile grew on Neville's lips and he stood up immediately.

"Where do we sign up?" he asked. Rose chuckled a little about his enthusiasm but then stood up with him. Hermione grabbed a paper and a pencil and around 25 students signed up to join their group.

Neville went back to Hogwarts with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the Weasley Twins, while Rose stayed in Hogsmeade to buy some new supplies for school. He offered to stay but she told him she didn't mind wandering alone in the town for a bit, needing to clear her head. He didn't want to force her to talk about it but he was starting to get a little bit worried.

She had been a bit quiet on the train ride to Hogsmeade and usually Rose would always be the one talking. Overall she seemed a little distraught that day but he didn't know why.

His friends were talking about finding a place to practice and other practicalities but his thoughts kept wandering off to his best friend. He wanted to be there for her but he wasn't sure what was wrong and he didn't want to push her into talking. Usually, she was honest with him and she would share everything. She rarely wanted to be alone, especially in Hogsmeade, so it felt strange to him that she had told him to leave.

He didn't see her again until dinner got served in the Great Hall and she walked in, holding hands with Blaise. He sighed a little and looked at his plate again, a slight frown on his face.

She seemed happy with him, he was glad that she was. He didn't want to ruin that, ever. It didn't sting to see them together anymore, as it had the first few weeks after they got together, but sometimes it still hurt a little bit. He was afraid that he wasn't good enough for her, especially compared to her current boyfriend. 

There was a tap on his shoulder and he looked up.

"Hi Nev, I got you this," Rose said, smiling down at him. She was holding a relatively flat, rectangle package, wrapped in green paper. He took it from her hands, a little confused as to why she would give him a present, so he asked her.

"What's this for? It's not my birthday or anything," he said and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know that, silly. It's just a little something. I just appreciate you a lot and I wanted to thank you for helping Blaise out," she said, shooting him a wink. 'How did she find out?' he wondered.

See, the thing was, it wasn't Blaise who came up with the idea of buying roses, laying down rose petals, buying Daisyroot Draught, her favourite chocolates, and getting floating candles to make their first-time extra special. He wasn't sure how to make it _perfect_ , so he asked Neville.

They had only had about three conversations prior to that, but Blaise was aware of the fact that no one knew Rose as well as Neville.

It was all Neville's idea. The flowers, wine, chocolates, everything. He even gave him some song recommendations and gift ideas, but Blaise left that all out. Maybe that's why she was so deep in her thoughts today, she must have found out.

They hadn't actually talked about it yet. It had happened only a few days ago and she just hadn't mentioned it yet, though Neville had noticed she was extra joyous.

"No problem," he said quickly, his ears turning the same colour red as his cheeks. He quickly unwrapped the present when Rose ordered him to do so and a smile grew on his lips. _Sub-Aquatic Botanical Mysteries_. She got him a new book, one that had been on his wish-list for a while now.

"This is brilliant, Rose, thank you so much!" he cheered happily. He stood up and gave her a tight hug. She smiled and hugged him back tightly.

"You're welcome, Nev," she said and patted his back before pulling back from the hug. "Thanks. You're a great friend. The best, really," she added, looking up at him. He smiled a little and nodded. "I'll see you and Hannah tomorrow for our double date," she said happily before walking off.

It would be Neville's 4th official date with Hannah, they had hung out a couple of more times but only had 3 official dates. Rose had finally gotten them to agree to go on a double date with her and Blaise, which she also had to convince Blaise about. She was super excited, but Neville was a little nervous. No matter how hard he tried, Rose was impossible to get out of his head.

He often wondered that if he had only told her sooner, would she have given him a chance instead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely people!  
> I'm not very fond of this chapter but I hope you enjoy reading it nevertheless. If you have any writing tips, ideas, comments, likes and dislikes, feel free to leave comments! :)  
> Have a lovely day!


	10. Final Dance

_Rose_

She was dressed in a gorgeous, satin dress that hugged her body around her waist and then flowed out in a skirt that fell to her knees. The sleeves stopped right above her elbows and were puffed slightly. It was dark-green, Blaise's favourite colour.

Well, he had said black was his favourite colour but she made him say another colour as she didn't usually buy and wear black dresses and she wanted to buy one in his favourite colour just for the sake of it.

She had straightened her usually wavy hair and she put a little extra make-up on for once. Usually, she only wore mascara and lipgloss, but tonight she wore eye-shadow and red lipstick instead of lipgloss.

She was getting ready with Hannah in the Prefect's bathroom. Tonight it was the night of their double-date to a The Weird Sisters concert. It was Neville and Rose's favourite band ever since they heard one song.

Hannah wore a cute, light blue dress that flowed around her as she walked, which Rose thought was cute. Her hair was in a braid to the side and her make-up look was simple and light. Rose immediately noticed how nervous she seemed. 

"It's all going to be fine. We're going to have a fantastic time at the concert," Rose tried to reassure her. "Why are you so nervous anyway? I thought this would be your fourth official date? And you've been hanging out a lot too."

Hannah fumbled with the end over her braid a little and nodded. "Yes, that's true and we've kissed a few times. But he hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend yet and I was kind of hoping he would tonight," she said shyly. Her words only made Rose even more excited.

She sprayed her perfume on her neck and wrist before turning to Hannah again. "He will soon, I'm sure. He totally likes you, I should know," she said, smiling. She knew her best friend well, but apparently not well enough that he was crushing on her instead.

"Besides, if he won't, why don't you just ask it? Neville's shy, he needs a nudge sometimes! He's not always good at noticing hints either," she informed her. "But I get it if that makes you even more nervous. So, how about we just have a good night and try to focus on that?" she suggested, not wanting her friend to be too nervous and in the meantime forget to enjoy the concert.

"I will try," she said, smiling gratefully at her. "Anyway. How are you and Blaise doing?" she asked as they made their way towards the entrance of the Great Hall where their dates would be waiting for them.

"Oh, we're fine," Rose answered quickly. "We've been together for two years in about a month or so. Sometimes I feel like we're going through a rough patch but he still makes me feel really happy," she confessed.

He did make her happy, but sometimes she felt like they were too different. They had always been different, but lately, those differences seemed to be getting in the way. He was friends with her best friend's bullies, he didn't like Herbology, he wasn't that excited about social situations and sometimes she wondered if he even liked her at all.

But then there were the times where he'd crack a joke, tells her about Potions with loads of excitement, recommended a new book he just read or tells her about Quidditch practice with a sparkle in his eyes, and of course, the times where he made her feel wanted and loved.

It was a complicated situation. It confused Rose so she was sure that Hannah wouldn't really understand either, which is why she quickly changed the subject once more.

When they arrived Neville and Blaise were already waiting for them. Blaise was leaning against the door frame. He looked really handsome, as always. He was wearing a black blouse, with black trousers and a silver necklace that she had given him when he visited her over the summer.

Neville looked really nice too, she thought. He was wearing a dark brown jumper with a pair of black jeans. It was simple, but it suited him.

The boys stopped chatting when the girls showed up and a smirk appeared on Blaise's lips while Neville's face just turned a little red. Rose ran into Blaise's arms who lifted her feet off the floor for a second while pressing a kiss on the side of her neck. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight," he told her, making her smile even brighter.

"Thank you, love," she said, "You look incredibly handsome yourself." He thanked her politely and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You sure you can walk on those for the entire night?" he questioned and gestured to the pair of black high heels she was wearing. Though they were quite high, she thought they were kind of comfortable.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be alright," she answered and pressed a kiss on his cheek. He nodded but remained sceptical.

Neville greeted Hannah nervously and then grabbed her hand as the four of them made their way to the Portkey in the Great Hall that was created especially for the concert. Loads of Hogwarts students were going tonight.

When they arrived at the venue, they had to wait in the queue for a moment. Blaise had his arms wrapped around Rose from behind while she chatted with Neville about how excited she was for the concert.

"Last year at the Yule Ball they were absolutely amazing. I remember just dancing my ass off all night long. The Yule Ball, in general, was incredible," she said, her dimples showing slightly as she spoke. "Oh my!" she suddenly yelled out, her face lighting up.

Neville looked at her, confusion expressed on his face. "What is it?" he asked her, a tone of concern in his voice. Hannah and Blaise looked at her with confusion and worry as well.

"We should totally organise a ball again!!" she said, her mind already filling itself with a ton of ideas. "Since there's not going to be another Tri-Wizard Tournament, we should organise a Yule-Ball-like event ourselves!" She looked next to her at her boyfriend who nodded but didn't express too much excitement about it.

"That's brilliant! Yeah, that's absolutely fantastic idea," Neville told her so she turned her head back to him. He was smiling excitedly, his one dimple showing.

"I agree, I think you should do it," Hannah said, nodding excitedly.

"Wicked! I'll ask Professor Sprout to help me talk to Dumbledore about it first thing tomorrow," she said, making a note to herself in her head about it.

She continued to talk about it and her ideas about when to have it, decorations, rules, music and more until they had to show their tickets. They entered the venue and stood between the crowd. They had pretty good spots.

It didn't take much longer before the lights dimmed and the first few notes of 'Do the Hippogriff' started playing. The band appeared on the stage and the crowd started cheering. Rose threw her hands in the air, cheering them on loudly.

She started to sing along with the song and she swayed her hips to the beat. She moved her arms in the air and felt the bass beat in her throat. Blaise was squeezed up against her, holding his hands on her hips, nodding his head along to the beat. Neville danced to the beat proudly, everyone knew that boy loved to dance. Hannah shyly sang along, swaying her hips to the beat.

The music filled her ears and the vibrations ran through her whole body. The flickering lights, the cheering crowd and the fact that she was there with her boyfriend and best friend made her feel completely alive. This was living.

A few songs later the band stopped for a moment to say a few words to the crowd. "How are you feeling tonight!?" the lead singer shouted. His question got answered by a roaring and screaming crowd.

Rose felt Blaise's arms around her waist tightly and she let her head rest back against his chest. She was getting tired and sweaty but still, she was full of adrenaline. She hadn't felt this free and alive in a while. He pressed a soft kiss on her cheek and she smiled at him.

"This next song is called This Is The Night, sing along if you know the words," he continued before the first few notes of the song filled the venue.

Neville looked over at Rose as the song started playing. What she wasn't aware of was that this song described his feelings all too well, except that he wished he _could_ break free, as they sang about.

" _I've got to get to grips,_ _I don't want to feel like this._ _Your voice keeps haunting me,_ _I cannot eat or sleep._ _I'm going crazy in this hazy fantasy._ _You put a spell on me, a_ _w but I ain't going down at all,_ " the words rang through his ears but he quickly looked away from Rose who stared back at him and his date. A smile grew on Rose's lips, thinking Neville was totally falling for Hannah. She didn't know how wrong she was.

"Do you think they'll get together tonight?" She said in Blaise's ear. He could barely hear her above the loud music but he nodded slightly, looking at them out for a moment.

"Perhaps, yeah," he said back before planting another kiss on her cheek. He had become even more affectionate after their first time having sex. She smiled and then turned to face the stage again, singing along with every word of every song.

The night went by way too quickly and soon it was time for the band to play the final song. Before they ended, they said a few more words to the crowd, "You have been a fantastic crowd Hogsmeade! Thank you for all the love." Cheers filled the room once more and Rose formed her hands around her mouth, shouting along. "Speaking about love; This one's going out to all the lovers out there. Hold each other tight, and keep each other warm," he continued.

Blaise wrapped his arms around his girlfriend once more and she placed her hands on his arms. Hannah looked shyly at Neville who then pulled her in closer as well.

"And dance your final dance!" were the last words the band spoke before the last song started.

Rose danced in Blaise's arms, singing along to every word of the song. The meaning had changed slightly for her. She was afraid of getting hurt by Blaise. Afraid they couldn't keep up much longer. While the words ' _And don't be afraid, a_ _fraid of bein' hurt._ _No, don't let this magic die,_ ' kept playing in her head, Neville had a few other words stuck in his. 

" _Mmm, don't be scared, she wants you too, y_ _eah, it's hard, you must be brave,_ ' rang through his mind as his eyes rested on his best friend. She was smiling brightly at her boyfriend as they held each other in their arms. He felt Hannah's head on his chest and held her a little tighter as they swayed together.

Both felt that something wasn't perfect. Something was missing. But for tonight, they both set their thoughts aside. For one night, all they did was dance.

" _So dance your final dance._ _'Cause this is your final chance."_

"Weren't they fucking amazing!?" Rose cheered as they made their way outside again. She was pulling Blaise with her by his wrist and Neville and Hannah walked in front of them, holding hands.

"They absolutely were," Neville said excitedly. His whole face was red from how hot it had been inside but the joy that he expressed was very pleasing. They pushed passed some people and got back in the line for the Portkey that would take them back.

"Did you have fun too?" she asked Blaise, wrapping her arms around his torso. He held his hands on her hips and nodded.

"Yeah, it was nice," he said calmly, a slight smile on his lips. She nodded and kissed his cheek.

"Good. I'm glad," she said and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Now that she had straightened it, it came all the way down to her waist. "Hey, I was thinking. Maybe we can study in the library together tomorrow?" she suggested.

She had to get some extra studying in for Potions and since he was really good at it, she figured he may want to help her out. He ran his hand up and down on her lower back and nodded.

"Sounds good, not too early though," he said with a slight grin.

"No, of course not," she chuckled. They moved up in line a bit and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

She watched Hannah and Neville talk. It seemed to go pretty well between them, though she did notice how shy and awkward they both were. Hannah nervously tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear and Neville had a shy smile on his lips.

She remembered when she was like that around Blaise. He had been so cool and mysterious, barely showing any sign of nerves while she couldn't stop giggling, blushing and she talked way too much, but he didn't seem to mind.

"He really likes her, huh?" Blaise whispered to her. She nodded.

"I think so. It looks like it, though he doesn't speak much about it," she said. "But I think that's because he always feels a bit awkward talking about those type of things." He huffed in response and gave her waist a slight squeeze.

"He can be pretty romantic for someone who has a hard time talking to girls," he proceeded.

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, without him our first time wouldn't have been as special," she said and nodded a little. At first, she had gotten a bit mad at Blaise for having needed Neville's help. It wasn't as much anger as it was disappointment and hurt that she had felt.

She had hoped he was the one who remembered that those were her favourite chocolates, that she always thought those rose petals were incredibly romantic and that those things would make her first time even more special.

But she quickly got over it and then she just felt thankful that he had at least reached out to Neville for help. He may not have come up with it all himself but it did show that he cared enough to figure out how to make it extra special for her, for now, that was enough.

"Yeah. He's a good friend to you," he said. The couple in front of them looked back and smiled a little. Rose smiled back at them. It didn't take much longer before it was their turn to make use of the Portkey.

Upon their arrival in the Great Hall, Rose took her heels off. "My feet are killing me," she sighed a little. Blaise shook his head lightly and smirked.

"I asked you about it," he said. "I knew your feet were going to hurt." She rolled her eyes slightly and shrugged her shoulders.

"We're back now, so I sort of made it through," she said and smiled painfully at him. He chuckled slightly and then swept her off her feet in a smooth motion, making her squeal in joy.

"Blaise!!" she giggled. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her bridal style. She looked back at Neville and Hannah.

"Rose, we're just going to chat here for a moment, alright?" Neville asked her. She nodded.

"It was absolutely lovely to be out with you. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? And I'll see you in our room, Hannah," she told them before waving as Blaise started to walk off. He carried her all the way to the entrance of the Hufflepuff Basement before putting her back on her feet.

"M'lady," he said and grinned down at her. She smiled slightly and held her shoes to her back.

"Thank you, kind sir," she teased a little and bit her bottom lip. He pulled her close to him by her hips and then gently planted his lips onto hers. She smiled against his lips and kissed him back softly, resting one hand on his cheek, while the other still held her heels behind her back.

"I had a good time with you," she whispered after their lips parted slightly. "I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course. I love you too," he said and kissed her forehead. "11 tomorrow?"

"11 sounds great. Goodnight love," she answered. She felt a warm feeling in her stomach as she watched him take off after wishing her goodnight. Things were okay, or at least okay enough to mend.


	11. Room of Requirement

_Neville_

Neville was walking through the corridors, making his way to the library to study with Rose, Dean and Seamus. He was so lost in his thoughts that he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going.

After the concert two weeks ago, Hannah had asked him if he wanted to be her boyfriend. He said yes. He liked Hannah, he truly did. He wasn't in love or anything but he did like to be around her a lot. Besides, perhaps one day soon he would fall in love.

She was sweet to him, liked a couple of the same things, she always smelled good and he could have a proper laugh with her. So he figured to give them a shot and so far it had been okay. They also snogged a lot, which he didn't mind.

Rose was overly excited about it though. She was happy that he finally had a girlfriend and she suggested they go on more double-dates. Neville had said 'sure' but he was trying to create a bit of distance between them in his goal to get over her. The amount of school work this year was a great help at that.

The O.W.L. exams were still far away but every week the professor's acted like they were the following week. The amount of homework he had was insane and he could barely keep up. Along with the regular homework, he was helping Professor Sprout with an extra research project so every spare hour he had were filled with that. It did excite him though so he didn't mind the extra project.

The other moments he was hanging out with Hannah, and occasionally with Rose, who even though told him that she understood why he had less time for her, was still a little bummed about it.

He was just walking when Goyle and his right-hand man Crabbe closed in on him, bumping him in the shoulder hard before laughing and walking off. They yelled, "Watch where you're going, Longbottom," at him but he just kept his head down and kept walking.

He hated those Slytherins. They had bullied him from the first day of school on. When Rose started dating Blaise it became a little better as he would stand up for him, but lately, it was getting worse again.

He had learned over the years that sometimes it was best just to ignore it and keep doing whatever it was that he was doing, but it didn't hurt any less. He passed a corner and then heard a rumbling noise.

Neville stopped walking and took a few steps back. A door appeared on the wall. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a little. He looked around before the doors opened themselves up. Behind the doors, a massive room, that was empty for the most part, appeared.

This would be the perfect space for Dumbledore's Army practice.

He didn't wait for even a second before running to the Gryffindor common room, trying to find Harry. When he saw the boy with glasses he called out to him, "Harry! Harry, I found us a room." Harry looked up from his book, as well as Ron, and they stood up immediately.

"Where? Which room, Neville?" He asked. Neville was a little out of breath from running all the way here so he tried to speak in between breaths.

"Down the hall... on the... the seventh floor," he breathed. They didn't waste a second. Fred and George, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Neville all hurried through the corridors, trying to find the Room of Requirement again.

When they reached the right hallway, the door revealed itself once more and they walked in.

"You've done it, Neville. You found the Room of Requirement," Hermione said, sounding quite impressed. Everyone always sounded surprised and impressed whenever he achieved something which didn't exactly help boost his confidence.

Ron didn't know what it was, as well as the others, so he asked her what the Room of Requirements was. "It's also known as the Come and Go Room. The Room of Requirement only appears when a person has real need of it," Hermione explained to the group, "And it's always equipped for the seeker's needs."

"So say you really needed the toilet..." Ron started. They all looked at him for a second, what a strange example to use, they all thought.

"Charming, Ronald. But, yes, that is the general idea," Hermione said, nodding her head slightly.

"It's brilliant. It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back," Harry stated and Neville nodded. "Well done, Neville," he complimented him. Neville smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright. Well, let's inform everyone. The quicker we can start the better."  
  
  


He made his way over to the library, completely having forgotten about his study session with Rose, Dean and Seamus because of the excitement of finding the Room of Requirement. When he was about to enter the library Rose just walked out.

She bumped into him by accident and was about to apologize when she saw it was him. "I'm so- Oh, so you were coming," she said dryly. There wasn't a clear expression on her face but he did notice the tension between them.

Usually, he knew exactly how she was feeling within a second but right now he couldn't tell. There was a neutral expression on her face, something that wasn't visible on her face often. Most of the time there was a smile on her lips and a spark in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he started, "I-I found the Room of Requirement and I had to tell-" he was whispering by now, but she interrupted him.

"I have to go. I have a Prefect meeting to get to," she said, still not expressing her true feelings to him.

A slight frown appeared on his face as she walked passed him. He turned around and called out for her. "Rose!" She didn't stop walking. "Rose, I'm sorry, alright? But this was-"

"Look, Neville," she said and turned around to him again. "I don't really care what you're reasoning is today. This isn't the first time you've skipped our study session. You've been avoiding me for two weeks now, ever since you and Hannah got together and I can't figure out why. If I did something wrong, you should let me know because this is driving me mad. I asked Hannah about it and she told me you're just busy, and you are, I know that. It's fine. I just miss you is all and I was excited to finally have a chance to talk to you today," she sighed.

There was a hint of sadness in her eyes and the corners of her mouth were pulled down. He couldn't help but notice the slight bit of annoyance in her voice as well. She was never annoyed with Neville. He must have really hurt her.

"Rose, I have been busy, extremely. And today I just... I had to tell Harry. It's for you know," he nudged his head to the side, not wanting to say 'Dumbledore's Army' out loud and possibly expose them.

"Neville, I said I get it," she said again, shaking her head slightly. "I have to go. I can't be late," she added quickly. She smiled slightly at him but not enough for her dimples to make an appearance.

He was about to say something but she had already turned around. He watched her walk away at a rapid pace and breathed out deeply.

He knew that ignoring and avoiding her was wrong but he had to. He had to get over her. Besides, he really did have very little time for his friends. The only time he genuinely talked to them was when they were walking to another class, in the library while studying, or to his roommates before bed.

He sighed deeply and turned around to walk into the library. He quickly found Seamus and Dean and sat down with them. They both shot him a look.

"Something came up. I had to tell Harry something," he said and shrugged his shoulders slightly. He felt a little guilty but what had just happened was of way greater importance. They nodded slightly.

He opened one of his books but his thoughts wandered off to Rose. He knew he had to step up and make amends with her soon. Yes, he was trying to get over her by creating some distance but he wasn't planning on losing her.

He had been so focused on how he was feeling that he hadn't thought about how Rose must be feeling. While he thought he was just creating some distance, she must have been feeling as if she was losing him to Hannah.

"Heya, mate," Dean said, snapping him out of her thoughts. "What are you daydreaming about?"

Neville looked at him, snapping out of his thoughts. "Probably about Hannah," Seamus joked and chuckled at his own comment. Neville shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"No, just have a lot of studying to do," he excused himself. He liked to talk to Dean about these kinds of things but lately, he and Seamus hadn't been getting along all too well. He knew that most of the time Seamus meant well but lately he was acting like a prick.

He scolded Harry a few times solely based on the Daily Prophet's articles about him, then the next minute acted like best buddies with him again. He also seemed to be having very little respect for the people who stood up for Harry, including Neville. He would teasingly make comments whenever Hannah was around, which he knew Neville hated because it made him all flustered and red.

Neville just thought he was annoying this year. Dean, on the other hand, had been very supportive of Neville's new relationship and his feelings regarding Rose. He was always there as a listening ear about it, knowing he couldn't tell his best friend.

"Bugger off, Seamus," Dean said and bumped his shoulder. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Seamus scoffed a little and then picked up his books, leaving the two boys alone for a moment.

"So, go on then," Dean said to Neville and gestured for him to speak up. They were whispering, as loud talking was prohibited in the library.

Neville took a deep breath and nodded a little. "I found the Room of Requirement," he stated, "It's perfect for Dumbledore's Army. I had to let Harry know right away before I'd forget or someone else would stumble across it."

"Wow wow, hold up, mate," he said and looked at him with widened eyes. "The Room of Requirement? You found the Room of Requirement?? How?"

Dean had read about it once but no one in their year had ever seen it, until now of course.

He shrugged his shoulder a little. "Just stumbled across it, really," he said casually. "But Dean, that's why I was late."

"Yeah, of course. I totally get it," he sighed and leaned back, shaking his head slightly. He couldn't believe Neville had "just stumbled across it", he thought it was amazing!

"I messed up, didn't I?" There was a slight hint of panic in Neville's voice. "With Rose. She seemed upset," he said, his hands finding their way to his hair.

Dean sat up straighter again and sighed softly. "Neville, mate, she's going to forgive you. It's Rose we're talking about here. Rose and Neville. The inseparable duo," he reminded him.

"But, yes, she was upset. She was talking the ears off of my head about how she thought you were neglecting and avoiding her," he continued and shook his head slightly. "You have got to make it right, Neville. She just misses you. She seemed quite stressed out," he told him.

Neville knew he had to make it right. He was determined too. "You're right. I should, Dean I just," he paused for a moment. "I took some distance because I can't like two people at once."

Dean nodded. "I know, mate. But look at how great Hannah is and how great you two are together. Doesn't that say enough? How happy she makes you?"

"What are you implying?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Well, maybe Hannah is helping you get over her. Sure some feelings still linger for Rose but for the most part, you're over her. You're over Rose. You have to be," Dean said.

Neville didn't argue with him. He had to be, and he was genuinely getting closer. But that wasn't what he was worried about now. He had to make amends. "I have to go," he said and stood up again.

"Where are you going? You just got here," Dean said and frowned a little.

"I have to make it right," he said. He made his way to the greenhouses and picked some flowers from the garden outside. He made a beautiful bouquet out of roses, gypsophila, and eucalyptus and tied a ribbon around it.

He was good at making bouquets. He loved doing it too. Whenever he could be in a greenhouse for whatever reason and work with flowers or plants he instantly felt at peace. He cleaned up a little and then made his way back inside.

Flowers didn't fix everything but they fixed a lot, at least they helped. Rose loved them so he'd figured they'd cheer her up a little.

He walked towards the Hufflepuff Basement and waited outside for someone. It took a little while but soon Hannah and Rose both walked out.

"Neville! Hi!" Hannah cheered and hugged him tightly. His eyes locked with Rose who's smile faltered slightly, but not completely. "You brought me flowers? That's so sweet!" his girlfriend cooed and took the bouquet from his hands.

He looked at it and shook his head. "No, they're for Rose," he said quickly, causing Hannah to go silent. Her lips formed an 'o' and she looked a little surprised.

Rose, on the other hand, smiled so bright that he could see her dimples again. Her eyes expressed joy and he couldn't help but smile at her. "Wow, really? For me?" she asked.

"Yes. I just wanted to apologize in case I made you feel neglected. I never intended to hurt you," he said and took the bouquet from Hannah and handed it to Rose. She smelled the flowers, closing her eyes for a moment and then looked at him again.

"Nev, you shouldn't have. That's so sweet of you," she said thankfully and hugged him tightly.

Hannah hadn't looked over to either of them. She felt incredibly embarrassed that she had expected the flowers to be for her. She never felt threatened by Rose regarding Neville, she was aware that they were just friends, but still, this felt a little embarrassing to her.

"I'm not cross with you, Nev," Rose reminded him and pulled back from the hug. "I was just hoping you'd at least show up to our study sessions again?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry for missing them in the first place," he said. She nodded and smiled a little.

"I know. It's okay," she reminded him, "I know you're busy. I just missed you is all." He nodded and then gestured to the flowers.

"You should put them in a vase," he told her. She nodded and turned around.

"I'll see you in a bit at dinner," she told her friends before walking back into the Hufflepuff Basement.

"Do you want to walk to the Great Hall together?" Neville asked, turning to Hannah again. She looked up at him, a slight frown on her face still.

"Why have you been skipping your study sessions with Rose?" she questioned him immediately.

"I've been telling you, I'm busy," he said and shrugged his shoulders. His cheeks turned pink and he reached out for her hand. "That's all. Between schoolwork and wanting to spend time with my girlfriend, I've been neglecting our friendship," he informed her.

She took his hand and nodded a little. "That's the only reason?"

It wasn't, but he couldn't tell her that. "Yes, that's the only reason, sunflower," he said and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled a little at him and gave his hand a squeeze. He smiled back at her before the pair started walking towards the Great Hall to get some dinner together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii  
> I know that in the books Dobby tells Harry about the RoR but I just like that Neville found it in the films so I added that instead! :)


	12. Weasley is our King

_Rose_

She was the only one wearing green among all the Gryffindor students, but she didn't feel out of place. Everyone knew she was dating a Slytherin so of course, she would cheer them on in a Quidditch match against Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Though whenever they played against Hufflepuff she was cheering her own house on, obviously.

Rose looked over at Neville, who was sitting next to her. "They'll win. I'm sure. I think Blaise really needs a win today too," she told him. It was true, he had been in a bad mood all week. Though she didn't really mind him taking some of his anger out on her when they had sex. She actually kind of liked when he was rough with her.

What she didn't like is to be sneered at, him picking unnecessary fights and barely being able to have a proper conversation with him because of his own struggles.

She was dealing with some stress herself so she didn't really enjoy how he was causing her even more stress by worrying her about his wellbeing and by acting cross with her, and everyone else. She was just glad that Neville made time for her again. The two weeks they hadn't spoken weren't long but they had felt like the two longest weeks of her life.

The two teams entered the field and she looked over to them. Professor Hooch blew her whistle before releasing the Quaffle up in the air and so beginning the game. The crowds cheered them on and soon Blaise was in possession of the Quaffle.

"Go, baby!!" Rose cheered. He flew fast past the other team's Chasers, dodging a Bludger and then he threw the ball right past Ron Weasley, Gryffindor's newest Keeper.

She jumped up and threw her hands up in the air, cheering loudly. She was the only one in the tower cheering for Slytherin, which made sense. She didn't really care about it or feel embarrassed. She was just happy that Blaise had made a goal.

The match was pretty intense, but it got even worse when the Slytherin students started singing a song that threw the other team off their game.

" _Weasley cannot save a thing,  
_ _He cannot block a single ring,  
_ _That's why Slytherins all sing,  
_ _Weasley is our King._ "

Ron, who the song was about, got way more distracted than his fellow teammates and he let another Quaffle through. Rose was furious, as were all the people around her. This was incredibly rude and straight-up bullying. She had been made aware that Ron had been quite nervous before the match, everyone knew. The fact that the Slytherins had written a song about him just to taunt him made Rose's blood boil.

It got worse when the Slytherin team started to sing the song as well. Everyone on the team.

Including her boyfriend.

Her jaw tightened and she frowned a little. Rose didn't get angry quickly or often, but she felt a rage in her chest that she had never felt before.

She knew his 'friends' bullied people. She knew Slytherins, in general, were the main bullies at Hogwarts. Never had she thought that Blaise would join in on their taunting.

She stood up and walked past everyone, leaving the tower. Neville called out to her but she ignored it and kept walking. In a rapid motion, she took the green scarf from her neck. With the fabric of the scarf, she wiped off the green stripes on her cheeks.

She hurried back into Hogwarts and made her way to the Hufflepuff Basement. Her thoughts were racing through her mind.

She felt kind of done. Done with Blaise's behaviour these last weeks, done with all the stupid bullying at this school and done with stressing over someone who doesn't seem to care.

After the concert, five weeks ago, she had thought that things would be getting better again, but after the concert, things only got worse. For a week things were like they used to be but then he started stressing a lot.

Blaise had completely closed himself off to her and it was weighing in on her chest these days. She tried to support him but she wasn't sure what exactly was going on with him.

She walked past some students that were hanging out in the common room and hurried over to her dorm. She sat down on her bed and held the scarf in her hands. It was Blaise's. It still smelled like him.

She was unsure of what to do. She loved him more than she had never loved anyone but he had changed a lot. Not just these past weeks but over the whole summer.

He was even more closed off, he didn't stand up for Neville anymore, and since they had sex for the first time she could barely have a conversation with him or he'd try to kiss her again.

Blaise had never been the most talkative, open person, but it was getting worse and she didn't like it. She wanted to be with someone social, who stands up for what's right and who shows they care.

Who brings roses because _they_ remembered she loved them, not because Neville had to tell them.

Maybe the differences between them were finally becoming too great for them to understand one another.

She took a deep breath and put the scarf under her bed in the drawer. She took out her notebook and started to write down some thoughts; some things she wanted to discuss with Blaise when she saw him again.

\- _I feel like you're shutting me out and I don't want to push you to talk to me but I'm here for you. I never judge and you know you can tell me what's bothering you. I can't help if I don't know what's going on with you._

_\- I don't like that you've stopped standing up for Neville and my friends. You know how I feel about your friends, they're fine people but they do bully an awful lot and I don't want them to pull you in on their shenanigans. You're way better than a bully._

_\- I love you and I do enjoy the love we make but sometimes I'd rather just have a conversation after a long day._

_\- I feel like we're drifting further and further apart and I don't want that to happen. I can't lose you, Blaise. What can I do to fix it up again?_

She put down her quill on her nightstand and looked at the list.

She genuinely did feel like they were starting to drift apart which was truly an awful feeling. He was her first love and she wasn't ready to let go of him just yet. They would fight for each other. At least, she would.

She put the notebook under her pillow and then grabbed her Herbology book off the floor. She started reading, trying to distract her mind.

She knew that if she would get too up in her head about things that it would either lead to a very long crying session or she would lose track of her thoughts and things would seem much worse than they actually were.

She had only read a few pages when her roommate, Susan Bones, poked her head around the door, questioning for her, "Rose?

Rose looked up and closed the book. She kept her finger in between the pages so she wouldn't lose track of which page she last read.

"Blaise is looking for you, he's right outside," Susan told her.

She nodded. "I'll be there in a moment," she said and put a bookmark in between the book. She stored it in her nightstand again, not making any hurry to get outside.

Of course, she wanted to talk to him, but she was also a little nervous to strike up a conversation about it between them.

With the notebook in her hands, she made her way out of the Hufflepuff Basement. He was leaning against the wall across the barrel, still in his Quidditch uniform. He straightened his position and walked over to her when she appeared.

"Hi," she spoke gently. Her hands were folded in front of her, holding onto the notebook.

"Hi," he replied. He went in for a hug but she didn't move so he stopped. "You left the game before it ended," he said, tilting his head a little, a frown appearing on his face. "Why?"

She looked at him and took a deep breath. "You were bullying Ron," she spoke up. "Why?"

He looked at her and then shook his head lightly. "I'm going to take a bath," he said and turned away from her.

Of course, she thought, walk away. Why would he react like this? Her body was aching. She had to know what was going on. She had to know if they were worth fighting for.

Her lips parted slightly and followed him with her eyes. "Blaise," she called out. He stopped walking but he didn't turn back around. "We have to talk about this. All of this," she said, walking after him.

"Why?"

"Because, Blaise, because we're drifting apart and I can't lose you. I fucking love you," she cried out. He turned around to her, not a single emotion expressed on his face.

"Alright, let's talk," he said, grabbing her wrist. He pulled her with him towards their secret spot and opened up the door.

The couple sat down across from each other and she opened the notebook. Blaise had a confused expression on his face and then tightened his jaw.

"You made a list?" he questioned her. He didn't seem too amused about the fact that she had made a list of issues between them, but it was the only way for her to get her thoughts in order.

"Yes, I did. I made it just now, just so I don't forget anything or struggle with my words," she explained to him. He pulled the notebook from her hands and his eyes scanned the pages.

She saw his jaw unclench and his eyes expressed a softer look. "You know that if you say no, I'll stop," he said to her. There was concern in his eyes. "I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want."

"Oh, Blaise, of course," she said quickly and moved closer to him. She caressed his cheek and smiled a little. "I know that you would never force me to do anything I don't want to. Trust me."

"Okay, good," he said and closed the notebook.

"I guess I just can't resist you. And then I think 'okay we'll talk after' but you always leave right after," she said, explaining what she meant with that point. He nodded, his eyes not looking away from her.

He took this very seriously. He may not have been the best boyfriend these past weeks but he cared more about Rose than he had ever cared about anyone else.

"Alright, baby," he said and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be sure to ask you about your day first, yeah?"

She nodded and then continued. "But I also want to hear about your day, Blaise."

"Then I'll try to share more again," he said, but she wasn't convinced. The fact that she wasn't must have been noticeable because Blaise continued with; "I will, Rose. I know I haven't been talking much. I've just been a little stressed out with these O.W.L. preparations and everything."

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze before interlacing their fingers. Holding hands, cuddling and overall touching each other was part of their love language.

"I know how that feels. You can tell me. We can start studying together again, and if you need any help in any of the classes we'll figure something out. There are loads of people willing to help out. But we figure it out together. We always do," she told him and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Is that the only reason why you've been acting so distant lately?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah, baby. I've just been stressed, that's all," he reassured her. "Though Malfoy has been extra pushy lately, but I can handle him."

"I know you can," she said and smiled a little. "If there's anything I can do, tell me okay, I'm here to help and support and love you." She had to make sure he _knew_ , otherwise nothing would change.

"Why haven't you been standing up for Neville anymore?" she then asked. He looked away from her and shrugged his shoulders. "Is Draco bothering you about that?"

"No, Malfoy's not. Pansy is, occasionally, but I don't care about Pansy. I don't know. It's not really my job to stand up for him, is it?" He finally looked at her again.

Her head was tilted a little and her eyebrows were furrowed together. "It's not your job but it's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do to stand up for people who are getting bullied for no reason," she exclaimed.

He let out a slight chuckle. "Well, he is kind of a wu-"

"Blaise, what the fuck?" she interrupted him and shook her head. There was a mixture of disappointment, anger and sadness in her eyes. "That's my best fucking friend you're talking about. The one that told you to get me flowers because you apparently have no clue what I like. The one that has been there for me for five years. Who always knows when something's wrong. Who knows me better than anyone. Who stands up for me, is there for me, who I trust with my life. He's not a fucking wuss."

She was raging. It hurt her that he would even say that. She felt a lump in her throat and tears burn in her eyes. "You know who's a wuss? Draco. Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle. They're all wusses because they all tease and bully kids who are kind, helpful, funny, and who actually care," she continued.

He was just staring at her in silence. He knew how badly he had fucked up. Through his mind were racing many thoughts on how to fix it, but he didn't get the chance to talk just yet.

"I can't believe you, Blaise. You're such a twat sometimes. It ends here. The bullying from your side. You're not going to sing that stupid fucking song again. You're not going to contribute to teasing and taunting other students," she said and pointed her finger at him.

"One more word about Neville to your so-called 'friends' and we're done, Blaise Zabini."

Her heart was beating in her throat. A few tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes as she blinked and then rolled down her cheeks. There was a pit in her stomach and she wanted to fully break down and sob but she remained as calm as she could be.

Blaise widened his eyes at her words and straightened himself. "Wow, wow, hold on? You're not going to break up with me, are you?" There was a sense of fear and hurt in his voice.

She hesitated for a moment. She _hesitated_. "If you start bullying people then yes, I will. That's not the Blaise I fell in love with or the one I want to be with. That's not the person that you are," she then said and shook her head lightly.

He stayed silent and just grabbed both of her hands. They stared into each other's eyes. Neither of them wanted to lose each other, but deep down they both knew that the path they were walking now was not going to end well for them.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he spoke, finally breaking the silence. "I won't do it again, I swear. I don't want to lose you," he added and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

Her arms found their way around his neck and then held each other tightly. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I know. I don't want to lose you either," she whispered and closed her eyes.

Tears were still falling silently but he seemed to have calmed her down a little by rubbing her back and humming her favourite song softly. He did remember things about her. Sometimes he was just not sure how to express his love properly, but he'd try, they both would.

They were both determined to keep trying.


End file.
